---
title: "Business AI Adoption Rate"
slug: the-adoption-curve
summary: "10% of U.S. employer businesses used AI in producing goods or services in the two-week period ending September 2025, up from 6% in September 2024"
category: "AI & Work"
unit: percent
frequency: biweekly
direction: not_applicable
latest_value: 10.0
latest_period: "2025-09-21"
data_status: historical
last_updated: "2026-10-09T18:47:30Z"
source: "U.S. Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey"
source_url: https://www.census.gov/hfp/btos/downloads/AI%20Core%20Questions.xlsx
canonical_html: https://americandefault.org/indicators/the-adoption-curve/
citation_apa: "Kilburn, R. (2026). Business AI Adoption Rate [Data set]. American Default Research. https://americandefault.org/indicators/the-adoption-curve/"
citation_chicago: "Kilburn, Ross. 2026. \"Business AI Adoption Rate.\" American Default Research. https://americandefault.org/indicators/the-adoption-curve/."
citation_mla: "Kilburn, Ross. \"Business AI Adoption Rate.\" American Default Research, 2026, americandefault.org/indicators/the-adoption-curve/."
---

# Business AI Adoption Rate

Also tracked as The Adoption Curve.

> 10% of U.S. employer businesses used AI in producing goods or services in the two-week period ending September 2025, up from 6% in September 2024

## Historical Reading

Final reading, September 2025: Business AI Adoption Rate was **10%**. Census reworded the survey question in November 2025, so a later reading would start a new series.

of U.S. employer businesses used AI in producing goods or services

## Recent Values

| Period | Value |
|--------|-------|
| 2025-09-21 | 10% |
| 2025-09-07 | 9.9% |
| 2025-08-24 | 9.1% |
| 2025-08-10 | 9.7% |
| 2025-07-27 | 8.8% |
| 2025-07-13 | 9.4% |
| 2025-06-29 | 9.3% |
| 2025-06-15 | 9.3% |
| 2025-06-01 | 9.2% |
| 2025-05-18 | 9.2% |
| 2025-05-04 | 8.7% |
| 2025-04-20 | 8.7% |

## Historical Context

- Peak since 2023: **10%** in September 2025
- Low since 2023: **3.7%** in September 2023

## Methodology

This is an archived series interpreted as measuring something other than household condition, so neither end of the range reads as household distress. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey. The source has no newer data, so this page keeps the final reading.

## Source

U.S. Census Bureau, Business Trends and Outlook Survey — [https://www.census.gov/hfp/btos/downloads/AI%20Core%20Questions.xlsx](https://www.census.gov/hfp/btos/downloads/AI%20Core%20Questions.xlsx)

Data retrieved: 2026-10-09T18:47:30Z

## Related Indicators

- [the-ai-cut](https://americandefault.org/indicators/the-ai-cut/)
- [the-horizon](https://americandefault.org/indicators/the-horizon/)

## Machine-Readable Endpoints

- HTML page: https://americandefault.org/indicators/the-adoption-curve/
- JSON: https://americandefault.org/api/indicators/the-adoption-curve.json
- CSV: https://americandefault.org/api/downloads/the-adoption-curve.csv
- BibTeX: https://americandefault.org/citations/the-adoption-curve.bib
- RIS: https://americandefault.org/citations/the-adoption-curve.ris

## Citation

**APA 7th**

    Kilburn, R. (2026). Business AI Adoption Rate [Data set]. American Default Research. https://americandefault.org/indicators/the-adoption-curve/

**Chicago (author-date)**

    Kilburn, Ross. 2026. "Business AI Adoption Rate." American Default Research. https://americandefault.org/indicators/the-adoption-curve/.

**MLA 9th**

    Kilburn, Ross. "Business AI Adoption Rate." American Default Research, 2026, americandefault.org/indicators/the-adoption-curve/.

Use **American Default Research** as the institutional name in source lists, bibliographies, and press citations. **American Default** is the brand and URL form. **American Distress Index (ADI)** is the product name for the national composite score.