Measured adoption of AI by firms

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What organisations actually do, as opposed to what systems can do — and a case study in how much a measurement depends on the question asked. The United States Census Bureau's Business Trends and Outlook Survey has asked firms about AI use fortnightly since 2023, and under its original wording — use "in producing goods or services" — the rate rose from 3.7% in September 2023 to 5.4% by February 2024 and reached roughly 10% by late 2025. On 17 November 2025 the question was rewritten to ask about use "in any of its business functions". The reported national rate immediately stood at 17.3%, and through the first half of 2026 ran between about 17% and 20%, with adoption concentrated in larger firms — around 37% among businesses with at least 250 employees in the period ending 3 May 2026. Nothing about firm behaviour changed on 17 November 2025. The instrument changed, and a reader who compares a 2026 figure with a 2024 figure across that break is measuring the questionnaire.

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