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CIOnomics · AI Adoption · Q4 2026

Nearly a quarter of US businesses now use AI

23.8% of US businesses used AI in the two weeks to September 20, 2026, up from 17.3% in November 2025. In the information sector the figure is 50.2%. In accommodation and food services it is 10.1%.

The short version
  • 23.8% of US businesses used AI in the two weeks to September 20, 2026, up 6.5 points since November 2025.
  • 27.7% expect to use it in the next six months.
  • Information-sector firms lead at 50.2%, about 5 times the rate in accommodation and food services (10.1%).
  • Firms with 250 or more employees are at 36.5%; firms with 5 to 9 employees at 21.5%.
23.8%
US businesses that used AI in the two weeks to September 20, 2026
27.7%
Expect to use AI in the next six months
50.2%
Information-sector firms using AI
36.5%
Firms with 250 or more employees using AI
1 · How many

Nearly one in four businesses now use AI

Every two weeks, the Census Bureau asks a sample of US businesses whether they used artificial intelligence in any of their business functions in the previous two weeks. In the two weeks to September 20, 2026, 23.8% said yes.

The question has been asked in this form since November 2025. In its first round, covering the two weeks to mid-November 2025, the share was 17.3%. It has risen 6.5 points since, well beyond the survey's margin of error of about 0.4 points.

More businesses expect to use AI than use it now: 27.7% say they will in the next six months.

Share of US businesses using AI
Percent of businesses, every two weeks
Share of US businesses using AIPercent of businesses, every two weeks. Used AI in the last two weeks: 17.3% in November 2025, 23.8% in the two weeks to September 20, 2026. Expect to use it in the next six months: 27.7%.0%5%10%15%20%25%30%35%Nov ’25Jan ’26MarMayJulSep27.7%Next six monthsExpect to use AI in the next six months, 2025-11: 21%Expect to use AI in the next six months, 2025-11: 21%Expect to use AI in the next six months, 2025-12: 21%Expect to use AI in the next six months, 2025-12: 22%Expect to use AI in the next six months, 2026-01: 22%Expect to use AI in the next six months, 2026-01: 22%Expect to use AI in the next six months, 2026-02: 21%Expect to use AI in the next six months, 2026-02: 22%Expect to use AI in the next six months, 2026-03: 22%Expect to use AI in the next six months, 2026-03: 23%Expect to use AI in the next six months, 2026-04: 23%Expect to use AI in the next six months, 2026-04: 23%Expect to use AI in the next six months, 2026-05: 23%Expect to use AI in the next six months, 2026-05: 24%Expect to use AI in the next six months, 2026-05: 24%Expect to use AI in the next six months, 2026-06: 24%Expect to use AI in the next six months, 2026-06: 25%Expect to use AI in the next six months, 2026-07: 24%Expect to use AI in the next six months, 2026-07: 26%Expect to use AI in the next six months, 2026-08: 26%Expect to use AI in the next six months, 2026-08: 27%Expect to use AI in the next six months, 2026-09: 28%Expect to use AI in the next six months, 2026-09: 28%23.8%Using nowUsed AI in the last two weeks, 2025-11: 17%Used AI in the last two weeks, 2025-11: 17%Used AI in the last two weeks, 2025-12: 18%Used AI in the last two weeks, 2025-12: 18%Used AI in the last two weeks, 2026-01: 18%Used AI in the last two weeks, 2026-01: 19%Used AI in the last two weeks, 2026-02: 18%Used AI in the last two weeks, 2026-02: 18%Used AI in the last two weeks, 2026-03: 19%Used AI in the last two weeks, 2026-03: 19%Used AI in the last two weeks, 2026-04: 20%Used AI in the last two weeks, 2026-04: 20%Used AI in the last two weeks, 2026-05: 20%Used AI in the last two weeks, 2026-05: 21%Used AI in the last two weeks, 2026-05: 21%Used AI in the last two weeks, 2026-06: 21%Used AI in the last two weeks, 2026-06: 22%Used AI in the last two weeks, 2026-07: 22%Used AI in the last two weeks, 2026-07: 22%Used AI in the last two weeks, 2026-08: 22%Used AI in the last two weeks, 2026-08: 23%Used AI in the last two weeks, 2026-09: 24%Used AI in the last two weeks, 2026-09: 24%
Used AI in the last two weeksExpect to use AI in the next six months
Source: Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey, questions 7 and 24.
2 · Who

Half of information firms use AI; one in ten restaurants and hotels do

Use varies more by industry than by company size. Information, the sector of software publishers, telecommunications, data processing and media, leads at 50.2%. Next are professional, scientific, and technical services at 42.7% and finance and insurance at 40.1%.

At the other end are transportation and warehousing at 10.5% and accommodation and food services at 10.1%. Information firms use AI about 5 times as often as hotels and restaurants.

Share of businesses using AI, by sector
Percent of businesses, two weeks to September 20, 2026
Share of businesses using AI, by sectorTwo weeks to September 20, 2026. Information 50.2%; Professional, scientific, and technical services 42.7%; Finance and insurance 40.1%; Real estate and rental and leasing 30.8%; Health care and social assistance 24.8%; Administrative and support services 21.7%; Wholesale trade 21.6%; Manufacturing 20.8%; Construction 17.2%; Retail trade 16.8%; Arts, entertainment, and recreation 16.8%; Other services 12.7%; Transportation and warehousing 10.5%; Accommodation and food services 10.1%.InformationInformation: 50.2%50.2%Professional, scientific, and technical servicesProfessional, scientific, and technical services: 42.7%42.7%Finance and insuranceFinance and insurance: 40.1%40.1%Real estate and rental and leasingReal estate and rental and leasing: 30.8%30.8%Health care and social assistanceHealth care and social assistance: 24.8%24.8%Administrative and support servicesAdministrative and support services: 21.7%21.7%Wholesale tradeWholesale trade: 21.6%21.6%ManufacturingManufacturing: 20.8%20.8%ConstructionConstruction: 17.2%17.2%Retail tradeRetail trade: 16.8%16.8%Arts, entertainment, and recreationArts, entertainment, and recreation: 16.8%16.8%Other servicesOther services: 12.7%12.7%Transportation and warehousingTransportation and warehousing: 10.5%10.5%Accommodation and food servicesAccommodation and food services: 10.1%10.1%
Source: Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey, question 7. Sectors whose estimate has a standard error of 2 points or more are not shown.
3 · Size

Larger firms use AI more, but small ones are not far behind

Among businesses with 250 or more employees, 36.5% use AI. Among those with 5 to 9 employees, the lowest of any size class, 21.5% do. The smallest businesses, with 1 to 4 employees, are at 23.9%.

Share of businesses using AI, by number of employees
Percent of businesses, two weeks to September 20, 2026
Share of businesses using AI, by number of employeesTwo weeks to September 20, 2026. 1 to 4 employees 23.9%; 5 to 9 21.5%; 10 to 19 22.4%; 20 to 49 24.8%; 50 to 99 29.2%; 100 to 249 36.4%; 250 or more 36.5%.1 to 4 employees1 to 4 employees: 23.9%23.9%5 to 9 employees5 to 9 employees: 21.5%21.5%10 to 19 employees10 to 19 employees: 22.4%22.4%20 to 49 employees20 to 49 employees: 24.8%24.8%50 to 99 employees50 to 99 employees: 29.2%29.2%100 to 249 employees100 to 249 employees: 36.4%36.4%250 or more employees250 or more employees: 36.5%36.5%
Source: Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey, question 7.

What the data does not tell us

What counts as use. The survey asks whether a business used AI "in any of its business functions", with machine learning, natural language processing, virtual agents and voice recognition as examples. It does not ask how much, or for what.

A new series. Census reworded the question in November 2025, from use "in producing goods or services" to use "in any of its business functions", and started a new series. Figures from the old wording, which were lower, are not comparable and are not used here. This edition uses the tables published as of October 14, 2026.

Whom it counts. The survey counts businesses, not workers or spending: a one-person firm and a large company each count once. Its sample covers employer businesses in the United States.

What it means for a technology leader

  • Peers. In professional, scientific, and technical services and in finance and insurance, about two in five firms already use AI.
  • Plans. More businesses say they will use AI in the next six months (27.7%) than use it now (23.8%).
  • Benchmarks. When a board asks how the company compares, the figure for its own sector is a better benchmark than the national 23.8%.
Figures you can quote

Each with its source

23.8% of US businesses used AI in the two weeks to September 20, 2026, up from 17.3% in November 2025.

Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey. CIOPages CIOnomics, AI Adoption, Q4 2026.

Half of information-sector firms use AI (50.2%). In accommodation and food services, 10.1% do.

Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey, two weeks to September 20, 2026. CIOPages CIOnomics, AI Adoption, Q4 2026.

27.7% of US businesses expect to use AI in the next six months.

Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey. CIOPages CIOnomics, AI Adoption, Q4 2026.

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Method and sources

How this was put together

Every figure is a published Census Bureau estimate from the Business Trends and Outlook Survey, downloaded on October 14, 2026. No figure is estimated or modeled by CIOPages. Sectors are ranked only when the estimate's standard error is under 2 points, and a difference is described only when it is more than twice the two estimates' combined standard error.

MeasureAgencySeriesFrequencyLatest
Used AI in the last two weeks (question 7)Census BureauBTOS Q7Every two weeksSep 2026
Expect to use AI in the next six months (question 24)Census BureauBTOS Q24Every two weeksSep 2026
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