Berlin, Nov 25 (IANS): The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is gaining momentum in Germany, with 20 per cent of companies now incorporating the technology -- a notable increase from 12 per cent in 2022 and 11 per cent in 2021, according to the Federal Statistical Office on Monday.

Large companies are leading the way, with nearly half of those employing 250 or more workers using AI. In contrast, adoption rates are lower among medium-sized enterprises (28 per cent) with 50 to 249 employees and small businesses (17 per cent) with 10 to 49 employees.

Among companies using AI, the most common applications are written language analysis and speech recognition. These technologies are primarily utilised in marketing and sales, Xinhua news agency reported.

However, many businesses still remain hesitant to adopt AI. The primary reasons cited include a lack of knowledge about the technology, reported by 71 per cent of respondents, as well as concerns over legal implications and data protection, at 58 per cent and 53 per cent respectively.