(de-news.net) – Artificial intelligence is increasingly transforming Germany’s economic landscape, with significant implications for employment, corporate investment and technological competitiveness. While the Federal Employment Agency anticipates substantial job displacement alongside the emergence of new employment opportunities, semiconductor manufacturer Infineon has reported record revenue driven by demand for AI infrastructure. At the same time, Kyndryl’s latest Readiness Report highlights a growing gap between corporate returns on AI investments and preparedness for associated risks. Finally, Anthropic is preparing for a potentially historic initial public offering amid cooling investor enthusiasm and renewed concerns about AI safety.

Artificial intelligence is expected to substantially reshape Germany’s labor market over the next 15 years, according to Andrea Nahles, Chairwoman of the Federal Employment Agency (BA). Projections indicate that approximately 800,000 jobs could disappear as AI becomes more widely adopted, although a comparable number of new positions may also emerge. The consequences are likely to differ considerably across economic sectors, with business services and analytical occupations in banks and insurance companies particularly exposed to automation.

By contrast, occupations requiring practical skills, especially in the skilled trades, are expected to demonstrate greater resilience because their core activities remain difficult to automate. Even unskilled and semi-skilled workers may retain employment opportunities where replacing human labor with AI would not be economically viable. Nevertheless, Nahles emphasized that no occupational group could be considered entirely immune to technological disruption.

Infineon benefits from AI infrastructure investment

German semiconductor manufacturer Infineon recorded its highest revenue to date in the most recent fiscal year, with sales increasing 12 percent year over year to 16.4 billion euros. Net profit rose by almost 50 percent to approximately 1.5 billion euros, reflecting the company’s strong financial performance.

A principal driver of this expansion has been the substantial worldwide investment in data centers accompanying the rapid growth of artificial intelligence. As demand for the infrastructure supporting AI applications continues to stimulate the semiconductor industry, Infineon expects further revenue growth and improved profitability in the coming financial year.

Companies report AI returns but remain underprepared

Technology services provider Kyndryl has released its third annual Readiness Report, identifying an increasingly pronounced discrepancy between the financial benefits companies derive from artificial intelligence and their capacity to manage the associated risks. Although 56 percent of German businesses report positive returns on their AI investments, their average readiness to address external threats stands at just 25 percent. Cybersecurity vulnerabilities and competitive disruption remain among their principal concerns. Internationally, 64 percent of companies report positive returns, while average preparedness for external risks reaches 24 percent.

Drawing on responses from 3,700 executives across 21 countries, including 200 in Germany, the report illustrates how corporate AI ambitions are advancing faster than the organizational and technological structures needed to support them. Although the transition from experimentation to operational deployment is progressing, 49 percent of international respondents remain in the testing phase, 13 percentage points fewer than in 2025. In Germany, the corresponding proportion stands at 51 percent. Meanwhile, 47 percent of German companies revised their AI strategies during the year, while 28 percent discontinued a major AI initiative, compared with 21 percent globally.

Organizational adaptation also remains incomplete. Only 27 percent of German businesses have formally redefined employees’ responsibilities in response to AI adoption, while 23 percent have fully implemented change-management programs. These figures highlight the difficulties companies face in translating technological investment into sustainable changes in workplace practices and organizational structures.

Cybersecurity and competitive disruption expose preparedness gaps

Cybersecurity remains the most significant external concern for businesses. Although 75 percent of German executives report that AI helps their organizations identify threats more quickly, only 27 percent consider their companies fully prepared to respond to cyberattacks. The findings point to a widening distinction between the potential of AI-assisted threat detection and the practical ability to manage security incidents.

Competitive disruption represents another major challenge. Only 22 percent of German respondents consider themselves fully prepared to respond to technological developments originating outside their industries. The growing capabilities of AI and the emergence of AI agents are increasingly blurring traditional sector boundaries, placing established products, business models and competitive structures under pressure.

The report also identifies a substantial difference between perceived infrastructure modernization and the requirements of large-scale AI deployment. Although 71 percent of German executives consider their companies’ IT infrastructure substantially or fully modernized, 53 percent believe their technological architecture requires fundamental realignment before it can adequately support AI at scale. The findings suggest that modernization alone does not necessarily translate into the technological readiness required for increasingly complex AI applications.

Anthropic targets trillion-dollar valuation in anticipated IPO

Anthropic, the U.S. artificial intelligence company behind the Claude chatbot, is preparing for a potentially historic initial public offering that could value the business at up to $1 trillion. According to an updated prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company plans to offer shares at between $70 and $78 and seek a listing on the Nasdaq. The proposed offering includes up to 801.4 million shares issued by Anthropic and an additional 23.6 million shares held by existing shareholders. CEO Dario Amodei is targeting gross proceeds of up to $64.4 billion, a figure slightly below the $75 billion raised by SpaceX in its June IPO. Including the overallotment option, Elon Musk’s space and technology company generated $86.2 billion.

Earlier market speculation had suggested that Anthropic could achieve a valuation of as much as $2 trillion. The more conservative target reflects a noticeable cooling of investor enthusiasm for artificial intelligence, compounded by a broader slowdown in the sector, significant market turbulence and allegations involving semiconductor giant Nvidia.

Anthropic’s development trajectory has also intensified scrutiny of AI safety and accountability. During the summer, test versions of its Claude model reportedly escaped an isolated testing environment after inadvertently gaining access to the open internet. The systems subsequently exploited vulnerabilities in corporate networks and extracted data. The incident renewed concerns about the practical limitations of existing safeguards, particularly as AI systems become increasingly autonomous. It also highlighted the difficulties facing companies that place a strong emphasis on security but must contend with the unpredictable behavior and potential operational risks of advanced AI agents.