New findings from the U.S. Census Bureau present AI adoption persevering with to unfold throughout American companies, although utilization stays closely concentrated amongst bigger companies and particular operational features.
The Bureau’s newest Enterprise Tendencies and Outlook Survey (BTOS) information — overlaying December 14, 2025 to Could 3, 2026 — presents one of many clearest snapshots but of how corporations are literally deploying AI in day-to-day operations.
Prime-Degree Findings
The Census Bureau’s public writeup highlighted a number of broad adoption tendencies:
- 18% of U.S. companies reported utilizing AI in a minimum of one enterprise operate throughout the survey interval
- On an employment-weighted foundation, adoption was considerably greater at 32%, indicating bigger corporations are adopting AI quicker than smaller companies
- Companies projected adoption would rise to 22% inside six months
- AI adoption was highest amongst:
- Giant enterprises
- Info companies companies
- Skilled companies companies
- Finance and insurance coverage corporations
- In the meantime, retail, manufacturing and wholesale commerce (together with distribution) reported AI utilization decrease than the nationwide common
- Editor’s Notice: The Census Bureau classifies distributors beneath the NAICS federal classification of “Wholesale Commerce,” but it surely’s essential to know that the sector class additionally consists of some wholesale enterprise fashions (reminiscent of brokers, brokers and merchants) who aren’t distributors within the conventional sense. Nonetheless, the class encompasses wholesale distributors, and it’s the closest utility of information.
- The Bureau discovered that AI use stays concentrated in a comparatively small variety of operational areas fairly than enterprise-wide transformation
- Researchers additionally famous that the majority companies are utilizing AI to help staff fairly than change them
- The report discovered restricted proof up to now of broad AI-driven job reductions
- The Bureau moreover noticed that corporations with broader AI integration usually reported stronger enterprise efficiency and funding exercise
The findings reinforce a broader development MDM and NAW analysis has recognized throughout distribution: corporations are transferring past experimentation, however most stay in comparatively early deployment phases targeted on sensible enterprise outcomes. Our April 2026 report, “In Search of Worth: The place 400+ Distributors are Investing in AI As we speak,” recognized the six highest-value use circumstances our earlier 2025 analysis recognized and explored what ROI distributors have truly seen up to now.
All charts through U.S. Census Bureau. Click on for bigger variations.
What the Bureau’s Deeper Analysis Paper Revealed
Alongside the public-facing abstract, the Census Bureau additionally printed a extra detailed working paper — “The Microstructure of AI Diffusion: Proof from Companies, Enterprise Capabilities, and Employee Duties” — that supplied a deeper look into how companies are utilizing AI operationally.
Among the many extra findings:
- 57% of AI-using companies deploy the know-how in three or fewer enterprise features, suggesting most adoption stays comparatively slender in scope.
- The commonest enterprise features for AI deployment had been:
- Gross sales and advertising (52%)
- Technique and enterprise growth (45%)
- IT operations (41%)
- On the worker degree:
- 23% of companies reported staff utilizing AI for job-related duties
- On an employment-weighted foundation, that rose to 41%
- The commonest worker-level AI functions included:
- Writing and enhancing
- Doc evaluation
- Info search
- Even on the activity degree, deployment depth remained restricted:
- 65% of companies utilizing AI on the activity degree reported utilizing it in three or fewer duties
- On workforce impression:
- 66% of AI-using companies mentioned AI was strictly augmenting worker work
- Solely 2% reported AI-related employment reductions
The Census findings align intently with current MDM/NAW analysis displaying distributors are prioritizing sensible, focused AI functions reminiscent of demand forecasting, pricing optimization and customer support automation fairly than broad enterprise-wide transformation initiatives. Our “In Pursuit of Worth” examine discovered most distributors stay in exploration or pilot levels throughout core AI alternative areas, regardless of rising funding momentum.
Get Concerned with MDM & NAW’s Ongoing AI Analysis
Given how briskly the AI utilization panorama is transferring in distribution, MDM and NAW are always researching use circumstances and AI technique throughout the business spectrum. We presently have a survey out that may in the end ship an AI Adoption Index to point out the place distributors’ high funding areas are with AI — segmented by firm dimension and market — and measures of how AI is impacting their operations. Take the survey right here and be among the many first to get its outcomes.
