How is the German gov’t planning to regulate AI at work?

Federal Labour Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD) has said that Germany shouldn’t “hand over the future of the country to some tech bros”. What regulation does the government have in mind?

Bas says employees should get regular AI training

“AI is more likely to lead to job restructuring than job losses,” Bas said at the re:publica media conference in Berlin on Tuesday. According to the minister, by 2030, there will be no jobs in Germany which do not involve AI.

As such, regarding workplace AI regulation, the CDU/CSU-SPD coalition has decided to focus on continuing education. The minister has proposed that nearly two-thirds of adults aged 25 to 64 receive training in using AI tools at work at least once per year.

EU AI Act already requires workplace training

The European Union’s AI Act is currently the primary piece of AI-specific legislation applicable in Germany. The Act was the world’s first comprehensive AI law and came into force in 2024.

According to Article 4 of the EU’s AI Act, from February 2025, companies that develop AI technology and any company that uses AI technology in its work processes must ensure that employees have a sufficient level of AI literacy.

What does this look like in practice? According to an EU AI Act fact sheet written by the German Economic Institute (IW), “To meet this requirement, companies can define practical and binding guidelines for using AI tools properly or offer training programmes.”

In addition, employees with existing AI knowledge and experience can help train colleagues, or companies can hire new employees with a “high level of AI literacy”.

Apart from Bas’ plan for continued training, it remains to be seen how the CDU/CSU-SPD coalition will regulate AI use in the workplace at the national level. “It is certain that we must have many more debates [within the coalition],” Bas said.

“The coming years will determine whether AI will lead to a harmonious coexistence between humans and machines, or whether digital chaos will jeopardise social achievements.”

Merkel urges EU to push on with tech regulation

Receiving the European Order of Merit in Strasbourg on Tuesday, former chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) urged the EU to “Continue along the path of regulating social media [...] and artificial intelligence".

"To believe that responsibility for spreading information is no longer necessary — that one will not be held accountable for lies — will undermine the foundations of democracy," Merkel continued.

Merkel was among 20 people to be bestowed the newly-established European Order of Merit. Other recipients included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, former president of Poland Lech Wałęsa and members of the Irish rock band U2.