Germany Misses AI Transformation: Last Chance?

From Postal Mail to AI: Why Germany Urgently Needs to Wake Up

Three days waiting for a document. An empty mailbox in the morning. And then this news from Scandinavia that hits like an alarm call: Denmark is abolishing postal mail. Not sometime in the distant future, but by the end of 2025. Completely. Permanently.

While PostNord in Denmark is discontinuing mail delivery simply because there are no more letters, many German authorities and companies are still debating the legally secure delivery via fax. This discrepancy is more than embarrassing. It's a symptom of a much larger problem.

The Digital Divide Between Scandinavia and Germany

The numbers from Denmark are clear: Letter volume has collapsed by around 90 percent. Communication with authorities and companies runs almost entirely digitally. The state e-mail system works so well that physical mail has become obsolete. A nationwide postal network is simply no longer economically viable.

What is normal in Denmark still sounds like science fiction in Germany. While Danish citizens complete their tax returns via app and handle administrative matters from their couch, German companies struggle with written form requirements, missing digital interfaces, and mountains of paper.

It's painful to say this so bluntly: Germany, once the nation of inventors and engineers, is increasingly seen internationally as backward. In the US, you often hear that Europe is a beautiful open-air museum, but technologically irrelevant. This perception isn't fair, but it's not entirely unfounded either.

The Missed Digitalization: An Expensive Mistake

We have largely slept through digitalization. While other countries have systematically modernized their administrations, digitized processes, and relieved citizens and businesses, Germany has remained stuck in old structures.

The reasons are manifold:

Risk aversion: For every innovation, there are a hundred reasons why it might not work
Excessive bureaucracy: New processes must fight their way through countless instances
Federalism as a brake: 16 federal states with 16 different IT systems
Fear of change: Rather cling to the familiar than dare something new
Data protection as a trump card: Important and correct, but often misused as an excuse for inaction

The result? While Estonia has been operating completely digitally for years, digital projects in Germany fail in droves. The Corona warning app was a bright spot, but more the exception than the rule.

AI as the Last Chance: The Necessary Reset

But there is a new opportunity, perhaps the last one: the AI transformation. Artificial intelligence offers the possibility of achieving productivity leaps that wouldn't be possible with classical digitalization alone.

If we missed the first digital wave, AI must be our lever. It's the opportunity for a reset, for a fresh start. But only if we do it differently this time.

The bad news first: We play no global role in the development of foundation models. This field is divided between the USA and China. OpenAI, Google, Anthropic on one side, Alibaba and Baidu on the other. European players? Barely visible.

The good news: Our chance lies in application. Germany has excellent engineers, exceptional specialists, and deep process knowledge. If we pragmatically integrate AI into our real processes, we can score points.

Concrete Use Cases: Where AI Can Help Today

The possibilities are diverse and concrete:

In Mail Handling and Document Processing:

Automatic classification and forwarding of incoming items
Extraction of relevant information from documents
Prioritization by urgency and relevance
Automatic response suggestions for standard inquiries

In Case Processing:

AI-supported review of applications and documents
Detection of inconsistencies and missing information
Acceleration of approval processes
Real-time compliance checks

In Administration:

Intelligent scheduling and resource optimization
Predictive maintenance and demand planning
Automation of repetitive administrative tasks
Improved knowledge management

In Customer Communication:

Intelligent chatbots for initial inquiries
Personalized real-time communication
Sentiment analysis for better customer service
Multilingual communication without language barriers

These use cases are not pie in the sky. The technology exists today. It is proven, available, and affordable. Companies worldwide are using it productively.

The German Dilemma: Falling Into Old Patterns Again

Despite all the opportunities, I see how Germany is already falling back into old patterns. The same mechanisms that slowed us down in digitalization threaten to block the AI transformation as well.

Instead of practical applications, strategy papers are emerging. Instead of pilot projects, working groups are forming. Instead of bold implementation, cautious waiting dominates. Germany doesn't need another AI strategy on paper, but functioning AI applications in everyday life.

The danger is real: If we treat AI like we treated digitalization, our competitiveness is finished. Then we will be left behind not only technologically but also economically. Then all that remains of Germany as an industrial location is the open-air museum.

What Needs to Be Done Now: From "Yes, But" to "Just Do It"

The turning point lies in a change of attitude. We need less "yes, but" and more "just do it". This doesn't mean acting irresponsibly or ignoring risks. It means being pragmatic and finding solutions instead of looking for problems.

Concrete Recommendations for Companies:

Start small: Identify a specific, manageable process that could benefit from AI
Test quickly: Launch pilot projects with short durations and clear success metrics
Learn from mistakes: Not every attempt will succeed, but every attempt brings insights
Involve employees: AI doesn't replace people but supports them in their work
Think compliance: Data protection and security are important, but not a reason for inaction

What Politics Must Do:

Simplify regulation and enable rather than hinder innovation
Massively expand investments in digital infrastructure
Break down federal silos and create uniform standards
Institutionalize courage to make mistakes in administration
Make digital education the top priority

Conclusion: Now or Never

Postal mail in Denmark is more than a side note. It's a symbol of the gap that has emerged between progressive nations and Germany. This gap won't get smaller if we continue as before.

AI is our chance to catch up. But only if we seize it. Now. Pragmatically. Courageously.

The question is not whether AI will change our world of work. It already is. The question is whether Germany will actively shape this change or passively suffer it.

What is your experience? In which processes are you already using AI productively today? Where are concerns or bureaucracy still blocking sensible applications? Exchanging views on this is the first step toward change.