AI Adoption by Businesses is Increasing Quickly, Especially in the IT Sector and Companies in Colorado and DC

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) by businesses in the U.S. is on the rise, according to a new paper from U.S. Census Bureau researchers. While the overall use of AI tools by firms has increased from 3.7% to 5.4% in recent months, it is expected to reach 6.6% by early fall.

The researchers found that firms in information technology and locations like Colorado and the District of Columbia are leading the way in adopting AI. Larger firms were more likely to use AI compared to small and midsize businesses, but the smallest firms were using it more than midsize businesses.

The most common uses of AI in businesses included marketing tasks, customer service chatbots, text and data analytics, and voice recognition. Erik Paul, the COO of a software development company in Orlando, shared how AI tools have become an integral part of their daily operations, but also highlighted the need for caution due to occasional errors in context.

Interestingly, the survey revealed some ambivalence among firms about adopting AI in the future. While two-thirds of non-users reported they would remain non-users, 14% were unsure about future adoption. Similarly, 14% of current users expressed uncertainty about continuing to use AI.

States like Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Delaware, California, and Washington State had the highest rates of AI adoption among firms, while Mississippi had the lowest. The Census Bureau plans to continue tracking AI use by businesses to understand its impact on the economy.