68% of German companies use or plan to adopt generative AI, while only 7% have implemented it broadly.

Deutsche Bundesbank's June 2026 monthly report found that 68% of German firms surveyed in Q1 said they already use generative AI or plan to adopt it by year-end, though only 7% report broad deployment, based on a survey of more than 7,000 companies. Bundesbank First Vice-President Sabine Mauderer, speaking at Frankfurt AI Week on October 29, said "AI needs capital," stressing that firms must invest in equipment, software, and employee training to put AI to work, and that funding is needed not only for technology development but for adoption and scaling. The gap between planned adoption and actual broad use highlights a capital-intensity bottleneck that could shape corporate capex, credit demand, and productivity expectations in Europe's largest economy. Watch for how financing conditions and firm-size differences affect whether planned adoption converts into widespread deployment.