Small business AI statistics for 2026How many small businesses use AI? It depends who you ask.
Anywhere from a quarter to four in five, depending on the survey. Here are the most reliable numbers as of October 2026, where each one comes from, why they disagree and what they mean for a small team.
In short
The US Census Bureau's survey, which represents all US employer businesses, found that 24.6% used AI in the two weeks before they answered (October 2026). Surveys of small business owners come out higher: 46% in the Federal Reserve Banks' 2025 survey, 66% in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's 2026 survey and 82% in an SBE Council survey. The gap comes from who was asked and what counted as "using AI". About half of small businesses that use AI are still experimenting with it.
The key numbers
We checked every figure below against its published source, as of October 2026. The "what was measured" column matters as much as the number.
| Source | What was measured | Result | When | Who was asked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey | Used AI in any business function in the last two weeks | 24.6% 28.6% expect to in the next six months | October 5–18, 2026 | A sample of about 1.2 million US employer businesses a year, about 200,000 asked every two weeks |
| Federal Reserve Banks, Small Business Credit Survey | The business or its employees currently use AI for work | 46% 15% plan to within 12 months; 33% have no plans | September 3 – November 14, 2025 | 5,248 small employer firms (1–499 employees) that answered the AI questions; not a random sample |
| JPMorganChase Institute | Has ever paid for an AI service, from bank transactions | 26.1% of employer firms 15.3% of firms with no employees | 2019 to the end of 2025 | Over 4.6 million small businesses with Chase business accounts |
| U.S. Chamber of Commerce, with Teneo Research | The business uses AI | 66% 58% in 2025, 23% in 2023 | July 23 – August 6, 2026 | 3,732 US small businesses with fewer than 250 employees, online |
| Thryv (a small business software company) | Small businesses using AI | 66% 55% a year earlier | April 2026 | 561 US small and mid-sized business decision-makers, not Thryv customers |
| SBE Council, fielded by TechnoMetrica | Adopted at least one AI tool | 82% | February 17–23, 2026 | 517 employers with 2–99 employees, online |
| Gallup | Employees who use AI in their role | 52% a few times a year or more 30% a few times a week or more 15% daily | May 6–20, 2026 | 22,573 employed US adults, at employers of every size |
| Office for National Statistics (UK) | Used at least one AI technology | About 35% of UK businesses with 10 or more employees 28% of those with 0–9 | June 2026 | UK businesses in the fortnightly Business Insights and Conditions Survey, weighted |
If you need one number for "how many US businesses use AI", the Census figure is the most representative: it samples businesses at random from every employer business except farms, and it asks every two weeks. A Federal Reserve research note from April 2026 reached the same view for measuring the share of businesses using AI.
AI adoption by business size
Bigger businesses use AI more, but the gap opens up above about 50 employees. Below that, use sits close to a quarter of businesses in every size band.
| Employees | Used AI in the last two weeks | Expect to in the next six months |
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 | 24.3% | 28.1% |
| 5–9 | 22.6% | 26.7% |
| 10–19 | 24.6% | 28.9% |
| 20–49 | 26.0% | 30.1% |
| 50–99 | 29.0% | 34.5% |
| 100–249 | 35.3% | 41.1% |
| 250 or more | 43.6% | 51.4% |
US Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey, collected October 5–18, 2026.
The smallest businesses have moved quickly. When the Census Bureau started its current question in late November 2025, 17.0% of businesses with one to four employees said they used AI. By October 2026 it was 24.3%. The UK shows a similar pattern: 28% of businesses with fewer than 10 employees and 49% of those with 250 or more.
Why the numbers differ so much
A 24.6% and an 82% can both be accurate. They are answers to different questions, asked of different people.
Who was asked
The Census Bureau picks businesses at random from all US employer businesses. Many other surveys use members, online panels or people who chose to reply. The Federal Reserve Banks say plainly that their survey is not a random sample. Owners who answer a survey about technology are more likely to use technology.
What counts as "using AI"
The Fed's survey counts AI features inside software you already use. The SBE Council counts anyone who has adopted at least one AI tool. The JPMorganChase Institute only counts businesses that have paid for an AI service. The Census Bureau asks about use "in any of its business functions" in the past two weeks. A spell checker with AI built in could count in one survey and not another.
Who answers for the business
An owner may not know that staff use a free chat assistant on their own. Gallup asks workers, not owners, which is why its numbers are about people rather than businesses. In the Census survey, 9.6% of businesses answered "do not know".
Counting businesses or counting workers
Most businesses are small, but most workers work at bigger ones. The Federal Reserve note points out that firms with fewer than 50 employees are 95% of US firms but 26.6% of employment. Since bigger firms use more AI, any number weighted by workers comes out higher than one that counts each business once.
Wording and timing
The Census Bureau changed its question in November 2025, from AI used "in producing goods or services" to AI used "in any of its business functions", and started a new series because the answers jumped. Numbers also move fast: a 2024 figure is already out of date.
Who ran the survey
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the SBE Council are business advocacy groups, and Thryv sells software to small businesses. That doesn't make their numbers wrong, and they publish their methods. It is worth knowing when a headline figure turns up in a sales pitch.
What small businesses use AI for
Among employer firms using AI in the Federal Reserve Banks' 2025 survey, the most common jobs were:
| Use | Share of AI users |
|---|---|
| Writing or marketing | 83% |
| Individual productivity | 61% |
| Planning or analysis | 51% |
| Administrative business functions | 38% |
| Customer service | 29% |
| Process automation | 21% |
| Coding or coding assistance | 19% |
Most of this use is still shallow. Of the firms using AI, 49% said they were experimenting, 44% had built it into some business processes and 7% had built it fully into the business. The UK statistics office reached a similar conclusion: adoption has nearly tripled since 2023, but the average business using AI uses 1.6 kinds of AI technology, up from 1.4.
The same Fed survey asked what changed. 71% of AI users said productivity went up, 39% said the quality of their goods or services improved and 31% said sales rose. The large majority saw no change in labor costs.
What holds small businesses back
- Accuracy and fit. Among firms already using AI, the top problems were accuracy (46%) and adapting tools to their business (43%). Among firms planning to start, 54% said finding tools that meet their needs.
- Time to set it up and train people. 37% of firms planning to use AI named the time needed to implement it or train employees.
- Not seeing the point. Of the 33% with no plans, 56% said AI doesn't apply to their business and 30% said they prefer not to use it.
- Skills. In Thryv's survey, 70% of owners said they need more training to use AI effectively.
- Having it isn't using it. 47% of US employees told Gallup their organization has integrated AI tools, but 30% use AI a few times a week or more.
What this means for your business
- You're not late. On the most representative measure, about two in three US businesses said they had not used AI in the past two weeks, and one in ten didn't know. Among those that use it, about half are still trying things out.
- Start where others found value. Writing, marketing, day-to-day productivity and planning are the most common uses. Pick one job like these that your team does every week.
- Plan for the hard part. Buying a subscription is easy. Accurate answers, fitting it to how your business works and training time are where small businesses get stuck. Budget time for all three.
- Count use, not licenses. The gap between "we have AI" and "we use AI" is wide. Our guide on getting your team to actually use AI covers how to close it.
- Ask who was surveyed. When someone quotes "80% of small businesses use AI", check what counted as use and who answered before you act on it.
If you want to know where AI fits in your own week, our free AI audit starts with the jobs your team already does, and our step-by-step guide to using AI in a small business covers what to do next.
Common questions
What percentage of small businesses use AI in 2026?
It depends on the survey. The Census Bureau found 24.6% of US employer businesses, and between 22.6% and 26.0% in each size band under 50 employees, used AI in the two weeks before answering in October 2026. Owner surveys report 46% to 82%, because they count any use of an AI tool and draw on owners more likely to use technology.
Is AI adoption growing among small businesses?
Yes, on every measure. In the Census survey, the share of all businesses using AI rose from 17.3% in late November 2025 to 24.6% in October 2026. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's figure went from 23% in 2023 to 66% in 2026.
Do bigger businesses use AI more?
Yes. In the Census data, 43.6% of businesses with 250 or more employees use AI, against about a quarter of those with fewer than 50. In the UK it is 49% against 28% for the smallest firms.
Which statistic should I quote?
For the share of US businesses using AI, quote the Census Bureau's Business Trends and Outlook Survey, with the date. For small employer firms in more detail, the Federal Reserve Banks' Small Business Credit Survey. For workers, Gallup. Always say what was measured.
Sources
- US Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey data downloads: national and employment size class tables, collection period October 5–18, 2026 (published October 22, 2026).
- US Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey data release, October 8, 2026: sample of about 1.2 million businesses, representative of all employer businesses except farms.
- US Census Bureau, BTOS AI core question updates (December 3, 2025): the change to "any of its business functions" and the new series.
- Federal Reserve Banks, Small Business Credit Survey: 2026 Report on Employer Firms (March 2026): AI use, level of adoption, tasks, effects and challenges.
- Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, AI Adoption Among Small Businesses: Qualitative Insights from the Small Business Credit Survey (July 15, 2026).
- Jeffrey S. Allen, Federal Reserve Board, Monitoring AI Adoption in the U.S. Economy (FEDS Notes, April 3, 2026): why survey estimates differ.
- JPMorganChase Institute, Understanding the use of AI among small businesses (April 14, 2026).
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce Technology Engagement Center, 2026 Empowering Small Business report (October 2, 2026), survey by Teneo Research.
- Thryv, AI Adoption Continues to Rise, but 70% Say They Need More Training to Use It Effectively (July 9, 2026): survey of 561 US small and mid-sized business decision-makers, April 2026.
- SBE Council, Tech use survey: the digital state of small business (March 11, 2026).
- Gallup, Organizational AI Adoption Jumps Six Points (July 20, 2026), survey of May 6–20, 2026.
- Office for National Statistics, Artificial intelligence in UK businesses: 2023 to 2026 (July 20, 2026).