German digital minister faces scrutiny for use of AI in official texts

BERLIN: Germany’s digital affairs minister Karsten Wildberger has come under scrutiny in German media over the alleged use of artificial intelligence (AI) in preparing official texts, reported German news agency dpa.

The controversy comes as Germany seeks to accelerate the adoption of digital technologies under a new ministry established in 2025 to modernise public administration and coordinate digital policy.

A ministry spokesman confirmed to dpa that Wildberger uses AI as a working tool. “Minister Wildberger uses AI as a support tool because he is convinced that Germany must quickly learn to use artificial intelligence in a productive yet measured way. This applies to the economy, the public sector and politics,” the spokesman said.

The weekly newspaper Die Zeit reported that several speeches and opinion pieces attributed to Wildberger appeared to have been largely generated with AI. The newspaper said it based its findings on analyses using software designed to detect AI-generated content.

However, some experts note that such detection software is not fully reliable.

According to the report, articles published under Wildberger’s name in leading German newspapers, as well as several parliamentary speeches, showed extensive signs of AI assistance.

A speech delivered at the US foreign policy think tank Atlantic Council in Washington in 2024 was said to have been fully AI-generated.

The ministry said no special disclosure was made to media organisations because AI is regarded as a support tool comparable to word processing or research assistance.

“AI can be used as a sparring partner – to structure ideas, suggest alternative phrasing, shorten texts or refine structure,” the spokesman said. He stressed that all content is reviewed and approved by humans before publication to prevent errors and so-called hallucinations.