Self-Employed in Germany Relying More on Artificial Intelligence

The solo self-employed and microenterprises in Germany are driving the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) at a rapid pace: Currently, 51.2% of respondents use AI in their business processes. That’s a significant increase of 30.4% over 2025. A further 16.2% plan to start using AI. That means the gap with the use of AI in the economy as a whole (54.5%) has now narrowed. “AI is no longer a topic for the future for the self-employed,” says ifo expert Katrin Demmelhuber. “AI tools have become part of their everyday work.”

For the self-employed, the main focus is clearly on external artificial intelligence offerings: Just under 59% use paid AI services, while 53% use free tools. 7% rely on AI systems they have developed themselves. The solo self-employed and microenterprises use AI primarily for research and information procurement, idea generation, text and content creation, translations, and in marketing and sales.

Following the distinct mood of crisis in April, the business climate for the solo self-employed and microenterprises improved moderately in May. The “Jimdo-ifo Business Climate Index for the Self-Employed” rose from -29.9 points to -27.7 points. Dissatisfaction with current business declined, and at the same time, the self-employed were somewhat less pessimistic about the coming months. Despite this ray of hope, the business climate for the self-employed remains far deeper in negative territory than the economy as a whole. “The situation for the self-employed has stabilized slightly, but remains fragile,” says Demmelhuber.