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Looking positively into the future when it comes to AI:

Students, like here at the University of Cologne

Photo: Christoph Hardt / Panama Pictures / IMAGO

According to a survey, a large proportion of students in Germany hope that digital assistants with artificial intelligence (AI) will make their future working lives easier. Almost two thirds (65 percent) of all respondents expected that the use of AI would have a positive effect - for example through faster and error-free work or a better work-life balance. This is shown by a survey by the consulting firm EY, which was published on Tuesday. 14 percent expected negative consequences – for example through the loss of jobs. A good fifth of those surveyed said that AI would be irrelevant to their future professional lives.

From the students' point of view, know-how in artificial intelligence will play an increasingly important role not only in everyday working life, but also when starting their professional life: a good quarter of the students surveyed stated that knowledge of possible AI applications is already in place Entry into the labor market is essential. More than half (55 percent) assumed that this would happen soon.

According to EY Labor Director

Jan-Rainer Hinz,

artificial intelligence and its applications are already changing the labor market significantly - and the trend is increasing. “It is all the more important for companies to attract employees for whom AI is not unknown – but rather a helper whose possible applications they already know,” said Hinz. “If the innovative spirit of the current generation of students meets the experience of long-serving employees, this can have a very positive effect.”

86 percent use AI applications in their studies

Almost nine out of ten respondents (86 percent) used AI applications more or less frequently during their studies: 13 percent of respondents used tools such as chatbots frequently, 41 percent occasionally and 32 percent very rarely. According to the information, they use them, among other things, for research, to clarify comprehension questions or to create texts.

For the study, a market research institute surveyed more than 2,000 students in Germany on behalf of EY. The representative online survey was carried out in February. 59 percent of those surveyed were studying for a bachelor's degree. A good quarter were aiming for a master's or magister degree, and 10 percent were aiming for the state examination. Diploma or doctoral students were represented in the single-digit percentage range.

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