AI Adoption Statistics: How Many Businesses Are Using AI?

Census data on AI adoption rates reveal that businesses are still considering how to use the new tech.

By Lyle Daly – Updated Feb 5, 2026 at 12:46 PM EST | Fact-checked by Frank Bass

Key Points

19.5% of U.S. businesses used AI in 2026, up from nearly zero in 2023.
AI adoption is highest in the information sector at 43%, lowest in food service and transportation.
Large firms use AI twice as much as small businesses, with no major change in headcount.

The U.S. Census Bureau reported that 19.5% of U.S. businesses used AI in May 2026. It has been tracking AI adoption statistics since the fall of 2023.

Even if it seems like businesses everywhere are integrating AI technology into their operations, that perception doesn't quite match reality. 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.

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Almost 1 in 5 U.S. businesses used AI in May 2026 -- up from near-zero in 2023

In the May 2026 Census Bureau survey, 19.5% of businesses reported using AI, and 22.7% expected to use it in the next six months. Here are more details on companies using AI nationwide:

AI adoption is steadily rising. Although the numbers fluctuate between survey periods, usage and projected usage numbers have grown significantly over the last three years.
Use cases are still fairly narrow. The national measure of AI usage includes companies across the entire economy, including sectors with relatively few AI applications, such as construction, mining, transportation, and hospitality. Low usage in those sectors pulls down the overall rate.
Employee AI usage is in line with the overall numbers. The most recent rates were 21% for employees who said they used AI for work tasks and 19.1% for those who reported using generative AI.

It's worth noting that the U.S. Census Bureau adjusted its survey wording in mid-2025, asking businesses whether they used AI in "any business function" rather than "to produce goods and services." The jump in usage and projected usage around that time period is likely due to the change in wording.

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Information sector leads all industries with 43% AI adoption -- food service and transportation trail at under 9%

The information technology sector has the highest AI usage, which makes sense considering companies in this sector are most likely to be early adopters of new technology. Here's a breakdown of AI adoption by industry and job type:

White-collar jobs are the most likely to use AI. After information, the sectors with the top AI usage are professional services at 38.8%, finance/insurance at 31.3%, and education at 31.3%.
AI adoption is low for trades and physical labor. The sectors with the lowest AI usage are transportation (7.5%), accommodation and food (8.3%), and construction (9.5%).
Not all sectors are embracing AI. In some sectors, including utilities and construction, AI usage has declined since the start of the year.

The data here supports the narrative that AI is handling more white-collar job duties and hasn't affected the trades much yet.

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Large firms adopt AI at twice the rate of the smallest businesses -- but rarely change headcount

There's a sizable gap in the AI adoption rate between large and small businesses, as:

Larger companies are the most likely to use AI. At companies with 250 or more employees, 36.1% used AI. In addition, 43.1% of employees at these companies had used AI in the last six months.
AI adoption rates decline gradually for small- and mid-sized businesses. At companies with 100 to 249 employees, 30.6% reported using AI. That dropped to 25.5% for companies with 50 to 99 employees.
AI hasn't caught on much with the smallest businesses. Fewer than one in five companies with under 50 employees use AI.

On a positive note, 95% to 96% of AI-using businesses reported that AI didn't change their employment numbers.

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Colorado and Arizona lead all states in business AI adoption statistics; Denver and Phoenix top the metros

Colorado has the highest AI adoption rate at 28.1%, and Arizona is close behind at 28.0%. The bottom states are Maine and Alaska, where AI is used by 13.9% and 14.0% of businesses, respectively.

Virginia, notable for being the state with the most data centers, is above average for AI usage with an adoption rate of 23.1%.

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The greater Denver area leads in AI usage at 35.2%, followed by the Phoenix area at 33.5%. Metro areas with the lowest AI adoption are Riverside-San Bernardino (9.4%) and New York-Newark (16.6%).

Writing and editing are the dominant AI tasks -- 84%–92% of employees using generative AI apply it to documents and communications

Businesses have heavily incorporated AI into their written content, with an estimated 84% to 92% using it for writing and editing. Usage varies for other tasks:

Searching and summarizing are also popular ways to use AI. Between 48% and 57% of businesses use AI to search for information. Another 43% to 60% use it to interpret and summarize documents.
The next wave could be sales, marketing, and business development. Among firms planning to adopt AI, 54% to 68% plan to use it for sales and marketing, and 53% to 59% plan to use it for strategy and business development.
AI hasn't caught on for the production of goods or distribution. Usage rates for both were under 9%.

Perhaps surprisingly, only a small portion of businesses (10% to 17%) use AI for coding.

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63% of non-adopters say AI simply doesn't apply to their business -- cost ranks last among major barriers

AI adoption is primarily a relevance issue, not a cost issue. The barriers cited by non-adopters make that clear:

The majority believed AI didn't apply to their business. Between 42% and 63% of non-adopters cited this reason, with the exact percentage depending on business size.
About 1 in 5 mentioned lack of knowledge or security concerns. Lack of knowledge about AI capabilities was a barrier mentioned by approximately 21% of non-adopters, and approximately 20% had privacy or security concerns.
Cost wasn't a major obstacle for most business owners. Only about 7% of non-adopters considered cost one of their AI adoption challenges.

Despite these obstacles, AI usage is on the rise. Nationwide, 22.7% of businesses expect to use AI within the next six months.

The AI industry itself is also growing rapidly. Along with the money pouring into AI stocks, private AI investments in the U.S. hit $109 billion in 2024, according to Stanford Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence's 2025 AI Index Report. Although cost isn't a big barrier to AI use, it's also dropping thanks to AI infrastructure investments. Model costs fell from $20 to $0.07 per million tokens between 2022 and 2024.

However, for widespread adoption, AI will need to gain ground in sectors with low adoption rates. That will require showing companies in these sectors how AI applies to their businesses.

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About the Author

Lyle Daly is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering information technology and cryptocurrency. Lyle has been a contributor at the financial services company since 2018. His work has been featured on USA Today, Yahoo Finance, MSN, Fox Business, and Nasdaq. Before joining The Motley Fool, he wrote for financial brands including Intuit.

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@LyleDaly

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.

AI Adoption Statistics: How Many Businesses Are Using AI?

Census data on AI adoption rates reveal that businesses are still considering how to use the new tech.

Key Points

Almost 1 in 5 U.S. businesses used AI in May 2026 -- up from near-zero in 2023

Information sector leads all industries with 43% AI adoption -- food service and transportation trail at under 9%

Large firms adopt AI at twice the rate of the smallest businesses -- but rarely change headcount

Colorado and Arizona lead all states in business AI adoption statistics; Denver and Phoenix top the metros

Writing and editing are the dominant AI tasks -- 84%–92% of employees using generative AI apply it to documents and communications

63% of non-adopters say AI simply doesn't apply to their business -- cost ranks last among major barriers

About the Author

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Writing and editing are the dominant AI tasks -- 84%–92% of employees using generative AI apply it to documents and communications

63% of non-adopters say AI simply doesn't apply to their business -- cost ranks last among major barriers