A new policy paper adopted by the CDU’s workers’ wing, drafted by a party working group headed by PhD researcher Leonard Baum, calls for stronger AI co-determination rights, a boost in digital skills, and an expanded National AI strategy.
The Christlich-Demokratische Arbeitnehmerschaft (CDA), the workers’ and social wing of the CDU, recently adopted a new policy paper on the future of AI in the workplace at their annual convention. This paper concludes a months-long, inclusive process driven by democratic dialogue and broad participation.
PhD researcher Leonard Baum from the Hertie School Centre for Digital Governance played a key role by leading a national digital working group comprising party members from across Germany with diverse backgrounds. Over several months, the group engaged extensively with a wide range of stakeholders, including AI experts (notably Hertie School Professor Joanna Bryson), workers’ representatives, industry groups, and policymakers.
The working group’s collaborative efforts helped shape the new political strategy, which aims to ensure that AI adoption benefits both workers and businesses. Key elements of the paper include updating co-determination rights to address AI’s workplace role, launching a digital competences offensive to boost skills, strengthening the digital ecosystem—especially for small and medium-sized enterprises—without “picking winners,” and proposing an update to the National AI strategy to include a practical AI application strategy.