Artificial intelligence (AI) has grown rapidly in popularity, and businesses are starting to get in on the action. Companies are turning to AI in an attempt to increase productivity and decrease costs.
By tracking AI adoption rates, we can see which types of businesses and which parts of the country are incorporating AI the most. Even if it seems like businesses everywhere are integrating AI technology into their operations, that perception doesn't quite match reality.
So how many companies use AI, and where is it most common? The U.S. Census Bureau has been tracking this information as part of its biweekly Business Trends and Outlook Survey, which includes responses from 1.2 million businesses split into six rotating panels.
Explore the latest AI statistics below, including current and projected usage rates nationwide, as well as at the state, city, sector, and business-size levels.
National AI Usage Rates
- Current AI business usage rate: 9.2%
- Projected AI business usage rate, next 6 months: 11.6%
Although AI hasn't reached widespread adoption yet, usage is steadily growing. Business usage of AI has more than doubled, from 3.7% to 9.2% of companies surveyed by the U.S. Census Bureau since it started collecting this data in the fall of 2023. Projected AI usage has almost doubled, going from 6.3% to 11.6%.
Those numbers might appear low given how AI is often discussed as a game changer for businesses. That could be for a few reasons.
First, the Census survey asks specifically if AI has been used to produce goods or services, which respondents could interpret as excluding back-of-office functions that utilize AI, like marketing or project management.
Second, some businesses might be using AI tools without realizing they are powered by AI. Or their employees may be using AI even if the tools aren’t recognized as part of an official business strategy.
Third, AI use cases are still relatively narrow, and use on a large scale can be complex and expensive.
AI Usage Rates by State
Utah has the most AI business adoption so far, with a usage rate of 14.6%. It's followed by Montana, Arizona, Florida, and Massachusetts.
In terms of projected AI usage by businesses, Delaware is in the lead with a rate of 19.1%. Montana, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah round out the top five states for projected usage.
Pennsylvania has the lowest reported AI usage rate at 6.0%. Its projected usage rate is also the lowest at 7.0%.
After Pennsylvania, the next four states with the lowest AI usage are Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Idaho, and Tennessee. The next lowest by projected usage are Arkansas, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Iowa and New Mexico tied for fifth lowest.
Not all states had AI usage rates available as of the most recent Business Trends and Outlook survey. It's possible that some states had higher or lower totals that went unreported. Also worth mentioning is that rates in some states can fluctuate quite a bit from survey to survey.
AI Usage Rates by City
The greater San Diego area is currently the nationwide leader in current (16.0%) and projected AI business usage (19.9%). Other metropolitan areas with high AI usage among businesses include Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, and Washington D.C.-Arlington-Alexandria.
After San Diego, the next four metropolitan areas by projected AI usage by businesses are Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach.
AI Usage Rates by Sector
Information companies are leading the way in AI adoption, with a 24.2% usage rate and a 30.5% projected usage rate. Professional services and educational services companies also have high AI usage and projected usage.
AI naturally fits into the information sector, which includes tech, media, and data companies. Many businesses in the space are digital first, which makes AI integration easier. Similarly, professional services are data- and communications-heavy industries with plenty of applications for AI tools.
In the most recent Business Trends and Outlook survey, accommodation and food services had the lowest AI usage, followed by the other services category, and then transportation and warehousing.
However, there wasn't any data on current or projected AI usage available for the agriculture, management of companies, or mining sectors. Once again, it's possible that these sectors had higher or lower totals that went unreported.
AI Usage Rates by Business Size
Large companies are the most likely to use AI. The usage rate is 14.9% for businesses with at least 250 employees, 5.0% higher than at businesses of any other size. Businesses with 250 or more employees and 100 to 249 employees also have the highest projected AI usage rates.
However, this doesn't mean that AI usage increases evenly with company size. Small businesses with one to four employees had the second-highest AI usage rate at 7.3%.
What Types of Workers Are Using AI?
AI usage is most common in the computer and mathematical field by a wide margin. Of queries sent to Claude.ai, 40.2% are in that category, according to a report by the Anthropic Economic Index. Here's a complete look at AI usage by occupational category based on Claude.ai queries.
About the Author
Lyle Daly has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Oracle. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.