How Many People Use AI and For What Jobs?

AI is playing an increasingly important role at home and in the workplace.

By Lyle Daly – Updated Sep 20, 2026 at 9:24 PM EST | Fact-checked by Frank Bass

Key Points

AI adoption in the finance and insurance sector rose to 67% by May 2026.
AI now constitutes 6% of work hours, reflecting growing integration into business workflows.
24% of AI users express concerns about the technology's impact on their careers.

More than half of U.S. adults live in households that used AI tools in the last three months, according to Census Bureau research on AI. Based on the current population size, that's more than 145 million people.

The household number is only part of the picture, as one industry in particular is using AI more than almost any other.

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56% of Americans now use AI at work

AI use is widespread in the U.S., with 56% of Americans living in households that used AI tools in the last three months, according to a Census Bureau survey conducted from June 16 through June 25, 2026. The increasing role of AI in people's everyday lives is the biggest technological shift in decades and has driven significant growth in AI stocks.

A sizable portion of Americans still aren't regular AI users, with 42% saying they hadn't used it during the last three months. The remainder chose not to report whether they had or hadn't used AI.

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Finance and insurance AI use jumped from 48% to 67% since late 2024

The finance and insurance industry has seen a significant rise in AI use, from 48% in November 2024 to 67% in May 2026, according to the Generative AI Adoption Tracker. Usage dipped in early 2025, so the industry hasn't seen steady growth every quarter, but overall, AI adoption in financial services has trended upward.

As a whole, the finance and insurance industry spends about 10% of work hours using AI, which is one of the higher usage rates. Efficiency gains have grown to 3% of work hours saved by AI as of May 2026, also one of the higher rates compared to other industries.

Business and financial occupations show a comparable 60% AI usage rate, which makes sense given these roles are largely in the finance and insurance industry.

The table below provides AI adoption statistics by industry, ranked by the usage rate as of May 2026.

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Data source: GenAI Adoption Tracker (RPS), Bick/Blandin/Deming.
Industry	AI usage rate (November 2024)	AI usage rate (May 2026)
Information	56.6%	82.2%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	46.7%	69.5%
Finance and insurance	48.5%	67.3%
Management of companies and enterprises	68.5%	64.5%
Wholesale trade	37.7%	62.1%
Real estate and rental and leasing	23.5%	56.5%
Utilities	31.0%	56.4%
Educational services	31.6%	52.6%
Manufacturing	25.0%	47.7%
Construction	33.9%	43.5%
Administrative and support and waste management services	19.3%	40.5%
Retail trade	27.9%	39.5%
Healthcare and social assistance	29.6%	37.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting	37.6%	34.8%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	28.8%	32.0%
Accommodation and food services	13.6%	30.5%
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction	53.4%	26.1%
Transportation and warehousing	19.9%	25.1%
Other services, except public administration	21.2%	24.7%
Public administration	22.8%	23.4%

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The share of work hours using generative AI tools increased from 4% in November 2024 to 6% in May 2026, according to the Generative AI Adoption Tracker. The time saved, measured as a share of work hours, increased from 1% to 2% over the same period.

This hasn't been consistent growth every single quarter -- work hours and time saved using AI both had small dips in 2025 -- but zooming out, it's clear that AI is making up a larger role in business activity.

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A quarter of AI users worry about how AI will affect their careers

Among AI users, 42% say that AI tools make them more productive, according to a 2025 survey by the Census Bureau. However, 24% of AI users expressed worry about the technology's impact on their careers.

While there are many ways to make money with AI, concerns about AI job losses have become widespread, especially as the technology has improved and become capable of handling a much greater variety of tasks. The data shows that these concerns aren't just confined to non-AI users, either. The same people who use AI the most and credit it with increased productivity are also weighing its effects on their own work.

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AI adoption continues to grow

In just a few years, AI has achieved widespread adoption, with more than half of U.S. adults using it in their personal lives and at work. AI usage is also taking up an increasing share of work hours and leading to legitimate efficiency gains, although the time saved remains relatively small. The promise of increased efficiency and productivity has drawn substantial investor capital to the sector, including in public and private AI companies and AI ETFs.

The finance industry, in particular, is seeing widespread AI adoption, with more than two-thirds of finance and insurance industry workers using AI tools. It has seen a rapid rise in AI usage, and about 10% of work hours in this industry are spent using the technology, both of which suggest that AI is well-suited for financial work.

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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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