The use of artificial intelligence is growing across the U.S. economy, but it continues to be largely concentrated in a limited number of industries, according to new findings from Wolfe Research.
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Business Trends and Outlook Survey shows that just 19% of companies currently use AI in the production of goods or services. This compares with roughly 50% of firms that report paying for AI tools, based on data from Ramp.
The discrepancy stems in part from differing methodologies. The Census survey captures a broad, self-reported view of business activity, focusing specifically on AI used in production processes. By contrast, Ramp tracks real-time spending on AI vendors, which reflects paid usage and tends to overrepresent more technologically advanced firms.
Adoption remains highly uneven across industries. Financial services, particularly securities and investment-related activities, rank among the highest adopters, second only to the technology sector. Outside these areas, usage drops off sharply, with most industries showing relatively low levels of integration.
Ramp’s data also indicates that paid adoption has accelerated rapidly, with more than half of companies now using AI tools. While OpenAI remains the leading provider, Anthropic has gained significant traction over the past year, emerging as the second-largest player. Other competitors, including Google, still lag behind in adoption.
Looking ahead, Wolfe Research expects job creation to average around 70,000 positions this year, while suggesting that a widespread wave of AI-related layoffs is unlikely to materialize in 2026.