For its AI Study 2019 , auditing firm Deloitte surveyed 1,900 managers from companies in Australia, China, Germany, France, Canada, Great Britain, and the US. Questionnaires were returned by 100 managers in Germany. One notable finding is that in Germany, AI is primarily used in the form of process robotics , i.e. robotic process automation (RPA), and rule-based systems. Such systems are in use in 67% of the companies surveyed; a further 30% of companies are planning to purchase them. In the other countries surveyed, this figure is only around 49%.

Another factor unique to Germany is that companies here predominately use ‘off-the-shelf’ algorithms, applications, and complete AI solutions, either as part of software solutions or as a service that is often obtained from the cloud. ‘AI as a Service’ is used by 65% of the companies in Germany; in the comparable markets, this approach is pursued by just under half of the companies surveyed. Deloitte sees the German trend toward AI from the cloud as predominantly positive, since it opens up fast and cost-effective access to this key technology for smaller companies as well.