Artificial intelligence will cost jobs – in concrete terms. Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger (CDU) has found clear words in an interview with Bild am Sonntag: Programmers and call center employees are among the occupational groups that are directly endangered by AI. The statements by the former MediaMarktSaturn boss have caused a stir and show how seriously the German government is now taking structural change through AI.
Wildberger: “Many programming jobs will be replaced”
The Digital Minister’s message is clear: “AI can program incredibly well today,” Wildberger told Bild am Sonntag. Just a few years ago, it was said that everyone had to learn to program – today, many of these jobs are being supplemented or simply replaced by AI. Call center jobs are also directly affected, as modern chatbots are increasingly handling customer inquiries independently.
This is not a new assessment out of the blue: Wildberger had already warned of dramatic job losses due to AI shortly before and at the same time emphasized that the technology could also create new business models and thus new jobs. His conclusion then and now: “AI can lead to growth and new business models and therefore to jobs. We are the architects of our own destiny.”
Lifelong learning as the answer to change
Wildberger called for more flexibility on the labor market. The idea of having a job for the next 30 years is simply a thing of the past. Instead, lifelong learning must become the norm – regardless of age. And according to the minister, this will also have consequences for the education system.
That sounds like a wake-up call: anyone working in the IT sector or in customer service today should actively develop their skills. AI tools such as ChatGPT 5.4 already impressively demonstrate how far the automation of knowledge work has come. Our overview of the technology behind ChatGPT also makes it clear why AI systems are now ideally suited for many routine programming and support tasks.
Germany needs to catch up when it comes to AI
Wildberger believes Germany is in a race that it cannot afford to lose. “If we don’t, our jobs, industry and economy will be at much greater risk. Not participating is not an option,” he emphasized. If used correctly, AI will above all bring growth – but to achieve this, Germany must actively invest and shape the transformation.
The debate is not new, but it gains political weight when it comes directly from the Ministry of Digital Affairs. The pressure is likely to increase in the coming years, particularly in sectors such as software development and customer service. According to various studies and reports, AI models can already keep up with or outperform human specialists in certain areas – as a study on the academic performance of ChatGPT shows.
Conclusion: AI and the labor market – opportunities and risks
Wildberger’s statements are a clear political signal: AI will change the German labor market – and faster than many thought. Programmers and call center employees are just two examples; the change will affect many other professional fields. The answer to this cannot be stagnation, but must be qualification, flexibility and an open approach to the new technology. Those who see AI as a tool and continue to develop will benefit – those who wait risk being left behind.
