U.S. Chamber Finds 60% of Small Businesses Use AI, Doubling in 2 Years
Updated
Updated · The Post and Courier · May 28
U.S. Chamber Finds 60% of Small Businesses Use AI, Doubling in 2 Years
3 articles · Updated · The Post and Courier · May 28
Sixty percent of U.S. small businesses used AI for core operations in 2025, the Chamber of Commerce said, up from roughly 30% two years earlier.
That adoption is helping firms expand, the report argues, while also muddying traditional measures of growth and jobs as AI shifts paid services into do-it-yourself work.
March data highlight the gap: 491,000 businesses were formed in the United States while payrolls added 157,769 jobs, suggesting more workers may be moving into self-employment than headline hiring captures.
More than 5 million new businesses were formed last year versus 181,000 payroll jobs added, reinforcing the view that AI-enabled entrepreneurship may make employment growth look weaker than it is.
The commentary urges a White House-led task force to update GDP and labor metrics for an AI-driven economy that increasingly falls outside smokestack-era measurement.
With billions spent on AI infrastructure, why does its true impact on economic growth remain a statistical ghost?
As AI fuels a surge of solo entrepreneurs, are we building a dynamic new economy or a fragile gig society?
AI Goes Mainstream: 57% of U.S. Small Businesses Now Invest in Artificial Intelligence (2026 Report)
Overview
As of May 2026, small and mid-sized businesses in the U.S. are rapidly adopting AI, marking a pivotal shift in how they operate and compete. The market for AI tools is growing fast, with adoption rates climbing significantly and 57% of small businesses now investing in AI, up from 36% in 2023. This surge is not just about investment—AI is becoming deeply embedded in daily operations, as 30% of employees now use AI tools every day. This widespread, practical integration highlights a transformative moment, where AI is moving from experimentation to a core part of the small business workforce.