A program of EffectiveSC
How We Use AISources checked October 24, 2026
24.6% 24.6% of US businesses told the Census Bureau they had used AI in the past two weeks, in the survey period ending October 18, 2026, up from 17.3% in the period ending November 30, 2025.
The Census Bureau's survey asks whether a business used AI, not whether it paid for it.
55.9% 55.9% of US businesses on Ramp paid for an AI product or service in September 2026, up 12.1 points from a year earlier.
The median business paying for AI on Ramp spent $15.70 per employee per month on it.
Share of US businesses: used AI in the past two weeks (Census survey, every two weeks) and paid for AI in the month (Ramp card, invoice and ACH data)
The Census Bureau's Business Trends and Outlook Survey asks businesses every two weeks whether they used AI in the past two weeks and whether they expect to in the next six months. In November 2025 it revised the question to ask about AI use “in any business function”, so this page starts with the first period after that change.
TODO for Robb: confirm the exact BTOS question text from the questionnaire before quoting it in full.
Ramp defines adoption as the share of businesses with an observed payment for an AI product or service in a given month, using corporate card, invoice and ACH transactions processed by Ramp.
| Period ending | Used AI, past two weeks | Expect to use, next six months |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 18, 2026 | 24.6% | 28.6% |
| Oct 4, 2026 | 23.8% | 27.7% |
| Sep 20, 2026 | 23.8% | 27.6% |
| Sep 6, 2026 | 23.2% | 27.3% |
| Aug 23, 2026 | 22.4% | 25.9% |
| Aug 9, 2026 | 21.8% | 25.9% |
| Jul 26, 2026 | 21.5% | 24.3% |
| Jul 12, 2026 | 21.7% | 24.5% |
| Jun 28, 2026 | 20.6% | 23.7% |
| Jun 14, 2026 | 20.6% | 23.9% |
| May 31, 2026 | 20.6% | 23.7% |
| May 17, 2026 | 19.5% | 22.7% |
| May 3, 2026 | 19.8% | 22.8% |
| Apr 19, 2026 | 19.8% | 23% |
| Apr 5, 2026 | 19.1% | 22.5% |
| Mar 22, 2026 | 18.9% | 22.3% |
| Mar 8, 2026 | 18.2% | 21.8% |
| Feb 22, 2026 | 17.5% | 21% |
| Feb 8, 2026 | 18.9% | 22.1% |
| Jan 25, 2026 | 18.2% | 22.1% |
| Jan 11, 2026 | 17.7% | 22.4% |
| Dec 28, 2025 | 17.8% | 21.3% |
| Dec 14, 2025 | 17.2% | 20.9% |
| Nov 30, 2025 | 17.3% | 21.1% |
Spend and tokens
How much are big tech companies spending on AI data centers?
Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon and Meta spent $165.1 billion on property and equipment from April to June 2026, up 87% in a year.
Spend and tokens
How much will the world spend on AI in 2026?
Gartner forecasts $2.67 trillion, more than half of it for infrastructure.
EstimateHow often
How often do US workers use AI?
15% of US employees used AI at work daily in May 2026.
The AI at Work Benchmark
Score your organization's practices, measure your people with an anonymous pulse, and see both against the published evidence.