German digital minister Karsten Wildberger used AI to write newspaper op-eds and speeches without telling editors, Die Zeit investigation reveals
Federal Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger (CDU) relied on artificial intelligence to draft speeches and guest articles for major newspapers, the weekly Die Zeit reported. The ministry never disclosed the AI use to the publications involved.
The allegations
Die Zeit examined several texts attributed to Wildberger with AI detection software. The analysis found that a guest article published in Handelsblatt in April 2026 was nearly entirely AI-generated, while a contribution to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (FAS) from March 2026 was written mostly by AI. A speech delivered at the Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C. in July 2024 came entirely from a machine, and several Bundestag speeches were largely AI-produced, according to the report.
- Speech at the Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C., entirely written by AI according to Die Zeit.
- Guest article in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, described as mostly AI-generated.
- Guest article in Handelsblatt, almost entirely produced by AI.
The ministry response
A spokesperson for the Digital Ministry confirmed that the minister uses AI as a working tool, framing it as a necessity for Germany's digital transformation.
The ministry made no separate disclosure to editorial offices because the minister considers AI a supportive tool that requires no more specific accountability than word processing, research tools or editorial assistance, the spokesperson added.Minister Wildberger uses it as a support because he is convinced that Germany must quickly learn how to handle AI productively and judiciously. That applies to business, administration and also to politics.
Human oversight claims
Every speech begins with a preliminary discussion between the speechwriting team and the minister about structure, impact and core messages, the ministry said. AI can be used as a sparring partner to organise thoughts, test alternative formulations, propose cuts or sharpen the structure.
Before anything is incorporated into a speech, a person must check, change and decide.
Broader context in the CDU
The controversy around Wildberger echoes an earlier case involving Thuringian minister-president Mario Voigt, also of the CDU. Voigt faced criticism after several of his speeches and guest articles were found to have been partially or fully created with AI, including a speech for Holocaust Remembrance Day, a funeral address and a New Year's message.
