Germany: an ‘Artificial Intelligence Observatory’ is set to be established

With more and more robots and algorithms relieving employees from simple repetitive tasks and with digital solutions increasingly pervading all sectors of activity, Germany’s government is looking to put in place an Artificial Intelligence Observatory at the start of 2020. Initially under the auspices of Ministry for Labor and Social Affairs, the aim is for the observatory to become a Federal institution in its own right, with significantly greater resources. Its goal is to analyse, much like a technical control center, the opportunities and risks associated with AI and to recommend, if necessary, appropriate political measures. In situations where the use of AI is deemed to be unacceptable from an ethical perspective, then bans over its use can be decreed. The new observatory will especially focus on the impact of AI on the world of work. The Labor Ministry is currently looking at how the retailing, banking, and finance sectors are changing and it estimates some 1.3 million jobs losses in the next five years, while 2.1 million new jobs should emerge over the same period.