By Aijaz Alam
What percentage of US businesses use AI?
24.6% of US employer businesses used AI in a business function in the last two weeks, in the Census Business Trends and Outlook Survey collected 5 to 18 October 2026. Up from 17.3% in November 2025, the first wave with this question. Firms with 250 or more staff lead at 43.6%; firms with 1 to 4 staff sit at 24.3%.
Headline figure
24.6%
US employer firms that used AI in the last two weeks
Census BTOS, collected 5-18 Oct 2026
- 28.6%Expect to use AI in the next six monthsCensus BTOS, collected 5-18 Oct 2026
- 43.6%Firms with 250 or more employees using AICensus BTOS, collected 5-18 Oct 2026
- 24.3%Firms with 1 to 4 employees using AICensus BTOS, collected 5-18 Oct 2026
- 46.4%Information sector firms using AI, the highest sectorCensus BTOS, collected 5-18 Oct 2026
- 17.3%Firms using AI in the first wave with today's questionCensus BTOS, collected 17-30 Nov 2025
The numbers
The full breakdown
US employer firms: using AI now and expecting to (5-18 Oct 2026)
| Answer | Share of firms | Standard error (points) |
|---|---|---|
| Used AI in the last two weeks | 24.6% | 0.27 |
| Do not know if they used AI | 9.6% | 0.22 |
| Expect to use AI in the next six months | 28.6% | 0.21 |
| Do not know if they will use AI in the next six months | 25.8% | 0.22 |
Expected use is a plan reported by firms, not a forecast. 45.5% said they do not expect to use AI in the next six months.
Share of US firms using AI, by number of employees (5-18 Oct 2026)
| Firm size | Using AI | Standard error (points) | Using AI, 17-30 Nov 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 employees | 24.3% | 0.32 | 17.0% |
| 5 to 9 | 22.6% | 0.50 | 15.5% |
| 10 to 19 | 24.6% | 0.94 | 17.8% |
| 20 to 49 | 26.0% | 0.74 | 18.7% |
| 50 to 99 | 29.0% | 1.09 | 20.7% |
| 100 to 249 | 35.3% | 1.97 | 23.7% |
| 250 or more | 43.6% | 1.51 | 30.5% |
| All US employer firms | 24.6% | 0.27 | 17.3% |
Census Employment Size Class file. The last column is the first wave asked with today's wording. In the wave ending 3 May 2026 the 250+ band was 37% and the 100-249 band 32%.
Share of US firms using AI, by sector (5-18 Oct 2026)
| Sector (NAICS) | Using AI | Standard error (points) |
|---|---|---|
| Information | 46.4% | 2.02 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 43.8% | 0.93 |
| Finance and insurance | 40.5% | 1.53 |
| Educational services | 33.4% | 1.96 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 29.0% | 1.03 |
| Health care and social assistance | 27.6% | 0.88 |
| Manufacturing | 22.9% | 1.35 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 22.7% | 1.43 |
| Wholesale trade | 21.4% | 0.85 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 21.4% | 1.26 |
| Retail trade | 18.5% | 0.73 |
| Construction | 16.1% | 0.79 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 14.6% | 1.03 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 13.5% | 1.51 |
| Accommodation and food services | 10.7% | 1.08 |
Census Sector file. National rate 24.6%. Left out because their standard errors are 2.6 to 12.6 points: agriculture (6.0%), mining (16.8%), utilities (16.7%) and management of companies (36.4%). Firms that operate in several sectors are also left out.
Census AI supplement: who uses AI and what it does to jobs (17 Nov 2025 to 8 Feb 2026)
| Measure | Share |
|---|---|
| All US employer firms that used AI (pooled winter waves) | 17.9% |
| Real estate, rental and leasing firms that used AI | 23.5% |
| AI-using firms: AI supplements or enhances a task an employee does | 43.7% |
| AI-using firms: AI performs a task an employee used to do | 10.1% |
| AI-using firms: AI did not change total employment | 95.7% |
Six biweekly panels pooled, released 18 Jun 2026. Pooled over winter, so not comparable with the two-week series above.
Old question, a separate series: AI used "in producing goods or services", every wave Sep 2023 to Oct 2025
| Collection ending | Used AI in producing goods or services (last two weeks) | Expect to in next six months |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Sep 2023 | 3.7% | 6.3% |
| 8 Oct 2023 | 3.7% | 6.3% |
| 22 Oct 2023 | 3.8% | 6.5% |
| 5 Nov 2023 | 3.9% | 6.5% |
| 19 Nov 2023 | 4.4% | 6.9% |
| 3 Dec 2023 | 4.6% | 7.3% |
| 17 Dec 2023 | 4.9% | 6.5% |
| 31 Dec 2023 | 4.9% | 6.7% |
| 14 Jan 2024 | 4.6% | 6.4% |
| 28 Jan 2024 | 5.3% | 6.5% |
| 11 Feb 2024 | 5.0% | 6.6% |
| 25 Feb 2024 | 5.4% | 6.6% |
| 10 Mar 2024 | 4.3% | 6.4% |
| 24 Mar 2024 | 4.4% | 6.7% |
| 7 Apr 2024 | 4.2% | 6.6% |
| 21 Apr 2024 | 4.8% | 6.8% |
| 5 May 2024 | 4.7% | 7.0% |
| 19 May 2024 | 4.8% | 6.9% |
| 2 Jun 2024 | 4.6% | 6.6% |
| 16 Jun 2024 | 5.0% | 6.8% |
| 30 Jun 2024 | 4.7% | 6.9% |
| 14 Jul 2024 | 5.0% | 6.9% |
| 28 Jul 2024 | 5.1% | 7.2% |
| 11 Aug 2024 | 5.1% | 7.0% |
| 25 Aug 2024 | 5.5% | 8.1% |
| 8 Sep 2024 | 5.7% | 8.5% |
| 22 Sep 2024 | 5.9% | 8.7% |
| 6 Oct 2024 | 6.0% | 9.1% |
| 20 Oct 2024 | 6.0% | 9.0% |
| 3 Nov 2024 | 6.0% | 9.3% |
| 17 Nov 2024 | 6.1% | 8.7% |
| 1 Dec 2024 | 6.1% | 8.9% |
| 15 Dec 2024 | 6.1% | 8.8% |
| 29 Dec 2024 | 6.3% | 9.2% |
| 12 Jan 2025 | 6.0% | 9.5% |
| 26 Jan 2025 | 6.7% | 9.4% |
| 9 Feb 2025 | 6.8% | 9.3% |
| 23 Feb 2025 | 7.3% | 9.8% |
| 9 Mar 2025 | 7.4% | 9.9% |
| 23 Mar 2025 | 7.8% | 10.5% |
| 6 Apr 2025 | 8.0% | 10.5% |
| 20 Apr 2025 | 8.3% | 10.9% |
| 4 May 2025 | 8.7% | 11.0% |
| 18 May 2025 | 8.7% | 11.0% |
| 1 Jun 2025 | 9.2% | 11.6% |
| 15 Jun 2025 | 9.2% | 11.6% |
| 29 Jun 2025 | 9.3% | 11.7% |
| 13 Jul 2025 | 9.3% | 12.3% |
| 27 Jul 2025 | 9.4% | 13.5% |
| 10 Aug 2025 | 8.8% | 13.0% |
| 24 Aug 2025 | 9.7% | 13.7% |
| 7 Sep 2025 | 9.1% | 13.8% |
| 21 Sep 2025 | 9.9% | 14.0% |
| 5 Oct 2025 | 10.0% | 14.0% |
Census asked: "did this business use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in producing goods or services?" Census replaced this question from the 17 Nov 2025 collection with AI "in any of its business functions", so these numbers cannot be joined to the history below. No waves were collected 6 Oct to 16 Nov 2025 (federal funding lapse). Source: Census file AI Core Questions.xlsx.
Over time
US firms using AI and expecting to, every wave since the new question
| Collection ending | Used AI in last two weeks | Expect to use in next six months |
|---|---|---|
| 30 Nov 2025 | 17.3% | 21.1% |
| 14 Dec 2025 | 17.2% | 20.9% |
| 28 Dec 2025 | 17.8% | 21.3% |
| 11 Jan 2026 | 17.7% | 22.4% |
| 25 Jan 2026 | 18.2% | 22.1% |
| 8 Feb 2026 | 18.9% | 22.1% |
| 22 Feb 2026 | 17.5% | 21.0% |
| 8 Mar 2026 | 18.2% | 21.8% |
| 22 Mar 2026 | 18.9% | 22.3% |
| 5 Apr 2026 | 19.1% | 22.5% |
| 19 Apr 2026 | 19.8% | 23.0% |
| 3 May 2026 | 19.8% | 22.8% |
| 17 May 2026 | 19.5% | 22.7% |
| 31 May 2026 | 20.6% | 23.7% |
| 14 Jun 2026 | 20.6% | 23.9% |
| 28 Jun 2026 | 20.6% | 23.7% |
| 12 Jul 2026 | 21.7% | 24.5% |
| 26 Jul 2026 | 21.5% | 24.3% |
| 9 Aug 2026 | 21.8% | 25.9% |
| 23 Aug 2026 | 22.4% | 25.9% |
| 6 Sep 2026 | 23.2% | 27.3% |
| 20 Sep 2026 | 23.8% | 27.6% |
| 4 Oct 2026 | 23.8% | 27.7% |
| 18 Oct 2026 | 24.6% | 28.6% |
Only waves asked with the "any business function" wording, which started with the 17 Nov 2025 collection. The older question (AI "in producing goods or services") ran from 3.7% (collected 11-24 Sep 2023) to 10.0% (22 Sep to 5 Oct 2025) and is a different series, shown wave by wave in the old-question table above. No waves were collected 6 Oct to 16 Nov 2025 (federal funding lapse). From the 19 Oct 2026 collection Census asks about "Super Intelligence or SI", which starts a new line.
Why sources differ
Same question, different answers
- 24.6%
Every US employer firm counts once, and most are small. Asks about AI in a business function in the last two weeks.
- 32% of jobs
Same Census survey weighted by employment: 18% of firms, but they hold 32% of jobs.
- 46%
Small employer firms (1-499 staff), convenience sample; counts use by the business or any employee.
- 78%
Nearly 9,000 senior executives in seven countries; bigger firms weigh more.
- 78% of workers
Share of the labor force at AI-adopting firms, not a share of firms.
- 88%
Share of 1,993 respondents worldwide; 38% work at $1B+ firms.
- 20.2%
Firms in OECD countries with data, mostly 10+ staff; not US only.
- 19.95%
EU enterprises with 10+ staff; not US.
The numbers answer different questions. Census counts every US employer firm once, and most of those firms are small, so its share is the lowest of the US figures. It also asks only about the last two weeks, so a firm that tried a chatbot in the spring and stopped is not counted.
The same Census answers weighted by jobs give 32%, because the large firms that use AI employ many people. The Fed's Small Business Credit Survey (46%) counts a firm if any employee uses AI, and its sample is firms that chose to answer. NBER (78%) and McKinsey (88%) ask executives and survey respondents, many at large companies, in several countries. The 78% from the Atlanta Fed is a share of workers, not of firms.
OECD (20.2%) and Eurostat (19.95%) leave out firms under 10 staff and cover other countries. Older Census numbers, 3.7% to 10.0% between September 2023 and October 2025, used a narrower question that Census replaced in November 2025.
What it means
How to use these numbers
About one US employer firm in four uses AI in a normal two-week stretch. If you run a small business and do not use AI yet, you are still in the majority: three firms in four did not report using it.
The gap by size is the main story. Firms with 250 or more staff use AI at about 1.8 times the national rate, while firms with 1 to 4 staff sit close to the average after a sharp rise since late 2025. Sector matters more than size for most owners: information, professional services and finance firms are above 40%, while restaurants, hotels, transportation and construction firms are below 17%. Compare yourself with your own sector row, not with the headline.
For journalists, quote 24.6% with its wave dates and the 0.27-point standard error, and do not join it to the 2023-2025 numbers, which used a different question. Expect a possible break in November 2026, when the new SI wording starts.
Method and sources
How it was measured
Method
- Publisher
- US Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS), an experimental data product
- Sample
- About 1.2 million US employer businesses in six panels; about 24,000 responses in the 5-18 Oct 2026 wave (12% response rate)
- Question
- In the last two weeks, did this business use AI in any of its business functions? (asked this way from 17 Nov 2025)
- Margin of error
- Standard error 0.27 points for the national share, about plus or minus 0.5 points at 95% confidence
- Population
- Firms with at least one paid employee; owners working alone with no payroll are not included
- Checked at source
- 23 Oct 2026 and again 30 Oct 2026: National.xlsx, Employment Size Class.xlsx, Sector.xlsx and AI Core Questions.xlsx on census.gov
- Next release
- 5 Nov 2026, the first wave asked with the "Super Intelligence or SI" wording
- Last changed
- 30 Oct 2026
- Data files
- CSV · JSON (stable links)
Sources
- Business Trends and Outlook Survey, US Census Bureau Official data
- Center for Economic Studies working papers, US Census Bureau Study
- Small Business Credit Survey, Federal Reserve Banks Survey
- Federal Reserve Board publications (SHED report, FEDS Notes, speeches), Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Official data
- NBER working papers, National Bureau of Economic Research Study
- The State of AI (McKinsey Global Survey), McKinsey & Company Survey
- ICT Access and Usage Database, OECD Official data
- ICT usage and e-commerce in enterprises, Eurostat Official data
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FAQ
More questions people ask
Why does Census now say SI instead of AI?
Executive Order 14434 (29 Sep 2026) tells agencies to use "Super Intelligence" and "SI". Census changed the question wording from the 19 Oct 2026 collection, so 24.6% is the last wave asked with the word AI.
Is AI replacing workers at these firms?
Not on the Census numbers so far. In the AI supplement (17 Nov 2025 to 8 Feb 2026), 95.7% of AI-using firms said AI did not change their total employment. 43.7% used it to help with an employee's task and 10.1% to do a task an employee used to do.
Why do older articles say only about 5% of US businesses use AI?
Census numbers from 2023 to 2025 (3.7% to 10.0%) asked about AI used to produce goods or services. Census widened the question in November 2025, and the first wave on the new wording gave 17.3%.
Which industry uses AI the least?
Of the sectors with reliable estimates, accommodation and food services, at 10.7% in the 5-18 Oct 2026 wave, followed by transportation and warehousing at 13.5%. Agriculture's estimate is lower (6.0%) but has a 2.6-point standard error.
Every number on this page was checked at its original source (US Census Bureau, Federal Reserve Banks, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, National Bureau of Economic Research, McKinsey & Company, OECD, Eurostat). Free to cite with a link to this page.