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Business AI adoption tracker

How many US and UK businesses use AI, by sector and size, from the official surveys.

How many businesses actually use AI? This tracker follows the business AI adoption rate in the official surveys in the US and the UK.

Latest: In the two weeks to September 6, 2026, 23.8% of US businesses said they used AI in at least one business function (Census Bureau), and in an ONS survey run June 15 to 28, 2026, 28.9% of UK businesses said they currently used at least one AI technology.

United States

Share of US businesses using AI0%13%25%38%50%202420252026No data for the fortnights collected October 6 to November 16, 2025 (federal funding lapse).No dataQuestion reworded: "in producing goods or services" became "in any of its business functions" (first published December 4, 2025). Not comparable with earlier readings.Question changedLast reading under the old wording; the question was then replaced.Question changed27.6%23.8%10.0%
US businesses using AI 23.8% (to September 6, 2026)US businesses using AI to produce goods or services (old question) 10.0% (to September 21, 2025)US businesses expecting to use AI in the next six months 27.6% (to September 6, 2026)
Source: US Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS).
Show the data (latest 12 points per line)
SeriesDateValue
US businesses using AIApril 5, 202619.8%
US businesses using AIApril 19, 202619.8%
US businesses using AIMay 3, 202619.5%
US businesses using AIMay 17, 202620.6%
US businesses using AIMay 31, 202620.6%
US businesses using AIJune 14, 202620.6%
US businesses using AIJune 28, 202621.7%
US businesses using AIJuly 12, 202621.5%
US businesses using AIJuly 26, 202621.8%
US businesses using AIAugust 9, 202622.4%
US businesses using AIAugust 23, 202623.2%
US businesses using AISeptember 6, 202623.8%
US businesses using AI to produce goods or services (old question)April 20, 20258.7%
US businesses using AI to produce goods or services (old question)May 4, 20258.7%
US businesses using AI to produce goods or services (old question)May 18, 20259.2%
US businesses using AI to produce goods or services (old question)June 1, 20259.2%
US businesses using AI to produce goods or services (old question)June 15, 20259.3%
US businesses using AI to produce goods or services (old question)June 29, 20259.3%
US businesses using AI to produce goods or services (old question)July 13, 20259.4%
US businesses using AI to produce goods or services (old question)July 27, 20258.8%
US businesses using AI to produce goods or services (old question)August 10, 20259.7%
US businesses using AI to produce goods or services (old question)August 24, 20259.1%
US businesses using AI to produce goods or services (old question)September 7, 20259.9%
US businesses using AI to produce goods or services (old question)September 21, 202510.0%
US businesses expecting to use AI in the next six monthsApril 5, 202623.0%
US businesses expecting to use AI in the next six monthsApril 19, 202622.8%
US businesses expecting to use AI in the next six monthsMay 3, 202622.7%
US businesses expecting to use AI in the next six monthsMay 17, 202623.7%
US businesses expecting to use AI in the next six monthsMay 31, 202623.9%
US businesses expecting to use AI in the next six monthsJune 14, 202623.7%
US businesses expecting to use AI in the next six monthsJune 28, 202624.5%
US businesses expecting to use AI in the next six monthsJuly 12, 202624.3%
US businesses expecting to use AI in the next six monthsJuly 26, 202625.9%
US businesses expecting to use AI in the next six monthsAugust 9, 202625.9%
US businesses expecting to use AI in the next six monthsAugust 23, 202627.3%
US businesses expecting to use AI in the next six monthsSeptember 6, 202627.6%

Share of US businesses using AI, from the Census Bureau’s Business Trends and Outlook Survey, every two weeks. The dotted lines mark the change of question and a gap in the survey.

Note the break in the series. In late 2025 the Census Bureau changed the question from AI use “in producing goods or services” to AI use “in any of its business functions”, first published December 4, 2025. The two questions measure different things, so they are drawn as separate lines and should not be read as one trend. There is also no data for the fortnights collected from October 6 to November 16, 2025, during the federal funding lapse.

The Census Bureau reported in May that “overall AI usage hovered between 17% and 20%” from December 2025 to May 2026. Use has risen since, as the chart shows.

By sector

US businesses using AI, by sectorShare
Information44.9%
Professional, scientific & technical services41.0%
Finance & insurance37.6%
Companies in more than one sector34.4%
Educational services33.9%
Real estate & rental28.8%
Management of companies28.7%
Health care & social assistance24.1%
Administrative & waste services20.8%
Manufacturing20.4%
Arts, entertainment & recreation19.1%
Wholesale trade19.0%
Retail trade15.9%
Utilities15.4%
Construction14.7%
Other services12.6%
Transportation & warehousing10.4%
Accommodation & food services9.2%
Mining, oil & gas7.7%
As the US series, by NAICS sector; average of the 6 latest fortnightly estimates (single fortnights are noisy for small sectors). Sectors with fewer than 4 published values in the window are left out. Period: June 15, 2026 to September 6, 2026.

United Kingdom

Share of UK businesses using AI0%13%25%38%50%20242025202634.9%28.9%17.1%
UK businesses using AI 28.9% (to June 28, 2026)UK businesses with 10+ employees using AI 34.9% (to June 28, 2026)UK businesses planning to adopt AI in the next three months 17.1% (to June 28, 2026)
Source: Office for National Statistics, Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS).
Show the data (latest 12 points per line)
SeriesDateValue
UK businesses using AIOctober 1, 20239.4%
UK businesses using AIDecember 24, 20239.9%
UK businesses using AIMarch 31, 202413.8%
UK businesses using AIJune 30, 202412.7%
UK businesses using AISeptember 29, 202414.7%
UK businesses using AIDecember 29, 202416.1%
UK businesses using AIMarch 30, 202517.8%
UK businesses using AIJune 29, 202520.5%
UK businesses using AISeptember 28, 202523.5%
UK businesses using AIDecember 28, 202524.7%
UK businesses using AIMarch 29, 202625.9%
UK businesses using AIJune 28, 202628.9%
UK businesses with 10+ employees using AIOctober 1, 202311.9%
UK businesses with 10+ employees using AIDecember 24, 202311.8%
UK businesses with 10+ employees using AIMarch 31, 202413.8%
UK businesses with 10+ employees using AIJune 30, 202414.8%
UK businesses with 10+ employees using AISeptember 29, 202417.8%
UK businesses with 10+ employees using AIDecember 29, 202418.2%
UK businesses with 10+ employees using AIMarch 30, 202520.6%
UK businesses with 10+ employees using AIJune 29, 202525.1%
UK businesses with 10+ employees using AISeptember 28, 202527.2%
UK businesses with 10+ employees using AIDecember 28, 202528.7%
UK businesses with 10+ employees using AIMarch 29, 202632.1%
UK businesses with 10+ employees using AIJune 28, 202634.9%
UK businesses planning to adopt AI in the next three monthsOctober 1, 20238.0%
UK businesses planning to adopt AI in the next three monthsDecember 24, 20237.3%
UK businesses planning to adopt AI in the next three monthsMarch 31, 20249.8%
UK businesses planning to adopt AI in the next three monthsJune 30, 20248.8%
UK businesses planning to adopt AI in the next three monthsSeptember 29, 20249.7%
UK businesses planning to adopt AI in the next three monthsDecember 29, 202410.0%
UK businesses planning to adopt AI in the next three monthsMarch 30, 202511.2%
UK businesses planning to adopt AI in the next three monthsJune 29, 202513.5%
UK businesses planning to adopt AI in the next three monthsSeptember 28, 202512.9%
UK businesses planning to adopt AI in the next three monthsDecember 28, 202515.3%
UK businesses planning to adopt AI in the next three monthsMarch 29, 202617.5%
UK businesses planning to adopt AI in the next three monthsJune 28, 202617.1%

Share of UK businesses using at least one AI technology, from the Office for National Statistics’ Business Insights and Conditions Survey. The question is asked in some survey waves only.

The Office for National Statistics reports that AI use among UK firms with 10 or more employees rose from about 12% to 35% between 2023 and 2026. Across all firms, including the smallest, it rose from about 9% to 29%.

The ONS also notes that “most businesses report that the use of AI has not resulted in a change to their overall workforce headcount so far.”

By industry

UK businesses using AI, by industryShare
Information & communication58.3%
Education50.7%
Professional, scientific & technical45.8%
Arts, entertainment & recreation32.2%
Administrative & support29.5%
Real estate25.1%
Other services22.0%
Manufacturing21.6%
Health & social work21.0%
Accommodation & food services20.6%
Wholesale & retail20.5%
Transportation & storage19.4%
Construction13.0%
As the UK series, by industry (SIC 2007 section), BICS wave 159. Industries ONS suppresses for confidentiality are left out. Period: June 28, 2026.

By size of business

UK businesses using AI, by sizeShare
250+ employees48.6%
100-249 employees45.1%
50-99 employees42.7%
10-49 employees33.1%
0-9 employees28.2%
As the UK series, by number of employees, BICS wave 159. Period: June 28, 2026.

Why AI adoption rates differ

You will see very different figures for “AI adoption” depending on who is asked and how.

  • Share of businesses (Census, ONS) counts each firm once, so small firms dominate.
  • Share of workers at firms using AI is much higher, because big firms adopt first.
  • Share of workers using AI themselves is different again. Worker surveys ask individuals, not firms.

The Federal Reserve Board published a note in April 2026 comparing these measures. None is wrong. They measure different things.

How adoption feeds our scores

Adoption does not change a job’s Still needs a human score, which is about the work itself. It does affect when a job could be replaced. Our timeline model is calibrated to the Census survey: the share of firms already using AI sets the starting point of the adoption curve, so the more firms use AI today, the sooner a job’s range starts. How the timeline works.

Method

  • US: Census Bureau Business Trends and Outlook Survey, national and sector estimates, every two weeks. Public domain. The sector table averages the latest six fortnights, because single fortnights are noisy.
  • UK: ONS Business Insights and Conditions Survey. Source: Office for National Statistics, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  • We show each survey’s own estimates. We do not adjust or combine them.

Related

Sources