Marco-Alexander Breit, head of the “Grundsätze der Digitalpolitik” (“Principles of Digital Policy”) department, is responsible for the “AI staff”. According to a press release from the ministry , he is expected to operationally strengthen the topic of AI and carry out specific projects – for example on the topic of European cloud infrastructure. Minister Altmaier emphasizes that Germany needs to move faster from the research stage to the application phase. Critics, however, consider the Federal Government’s AI strategy to be inadequate. A large part of the announced 3 billion euros to be invested in the technology by 2025 would not be made additionally available, according to media outlets such as the “Handelsblatt” . Instead, in order to raise this amount of money, there needs to be budget cuts in other areas. This would turn the Federal Government’s AI strategy into a letdown.

Thomas Jarzombek has been appointed representative for the digital economy and startups . He will also serve as a contact for companies. He is already a Federal Government coordinator for the German aerospace industry, and will take on his new additional task on an honorary basis (i.e. without an expense allowance).