Annual Assessment 2026 · Available now
myBytes Research · As of March 2026
AI in business – where Germany really stands
26% of German companies are already using AI. But what are they actually doing with it? What is holding the rest back? And what changes with the EU AI Act from August 2026? Our Annual Assessment delivers data, context and practical recommendations for the Mittelstand.
26%
AI adoption, German
companies 2025
companies 2025
40%
Usage in
business processes
business processes
2.8.'26
EU AI Act
fully in force
fully in force
myBytes
Annual Assessment 2026
AI in business · Focus on Germany
Download the report
Market data, EU AI Act roadmap & recommendations by maturity level
Recommended · Quarterly report subscription
Download + quarterly updates
Get the report and be notified automatically when new editions are released.
Almost there!
We have sent you a confirmation email. Just confirm quickly – then you can download the report right away.
🔒 No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Data stored in accordance with GDPR.
Learn more in our privacy policy.
Learn more in our privacy policy.
Key Findings
What the report shows
Based on official data from Destatis, ifo, Eurostat and the OECD – no glossy forecasts, just solid analysis for decision-makers.
+117%
AI adoption in 4 years
From 12% (2023) to 26% (2025) among companies with 10+ employees. The curve is accelerating – and unevenly distributed.
57%
Large vs. small companies
57% of companies with over 250 employees use AI, versus just 23% of small ones (10–49 employees). Why – and how can the gap be closed?
2.8.26
EU AI Act – the real deadline
Governance, vendor assessment, documentation: what becomes mandatory from August 2026 – and what companies should do now.
3/3
The real bottlenecks
Expertise, legal uncertainty, data protection – the three main hurdles according to Eurostat. It's not the models holding things back, it's the operating model.
5+
Forecasts with confidence scores
AI readiness as a standard project (90%), the shift from pilot to production (85%), RAG patterns as core architecture (85%) – and more.
3×
Recommendations by maturity level
Getting started, first use cases, advanced organizations – plus a 9-point management checklist for 2026.
Contents
What to expect
23 pages of structured analysis – no filler, no marketing gloss.
01
Executive Summary
The key takeaways on a single page – for decision-makers short on time.
02
Market picture 2025: Germany
Destatis and ifo data in detail. Industries, company sizes, real use cases.
03
International developments
Capital, regulation, infrastructure – why US investments (USD 109 billion) matter for German companies.
04
What has solidified in 2026
The four robust patterns: demo → workflow, governance made operational, infrastructure as strategy, skills as value creation.
05
Forecasts with confidence scores
Rigorously formulated, with reasoning and practical implications for every forecast.
06–08
Recommendations + checklist
By maturity level. Plus methodology and all 15 sources transparently disclosed.
Who it's for
This report is written for
Leadership
CEOs & executive boards
Strategic context on where your organization stands in the market – and which decisions can no longer be postponed in 2026.
IT & Digitalization
CTOs, IT leaders, architects
Technical patterns, infrastructure requirements and vendor risk assessment – with concrete architecture recommendations.
Compliance & Legal
Legal, data protection, procurement
EU AI Act timeline, documentation obligations and what vendor assessment actually means from 2026 – checklist included.
Ready for the next quarter?
The Annual Assessment is published as a quarterly update. Sign up now and receive every report automatically – free of charge.