Frontier 22 September 2026

ARD/ZDF Study Finds 59% of Germans Use AI Tools

A black-and-white cutout of a hand holding a phone, its screen a hand-cut green paper shape, pasted over a torn photographic fragment of a cosy German living room with a sofa, a crocheted cus — Illustration: AI-generated, courtesy of Magnific CPP.

Germany's public broadcasters released their annual media study on September 22, finding 59% of the population now uses AI tools at least occasionally. The age gap is stark: 92% of those aged 14 to 29 versus 15% of those over 70. Users remain skeptical, with 54% treating AI results as tools requiring verification rather than finished answers. Only 43% find source attribution in AI outputs transparent, though 81% consider source citations very important. The study, conducted by the GIM Institute between January 27 and April 19, surveyed 2,462 German speakers aged 14 and over. HR Intendant Florian Hager said public broadcasters "must become the authoritative voice against deepfakes."

Primary: ZDF Presseportal, 22 September 2026