Where inside the business is AI being used?
Explore sales, strategy, research, customer service, and other functions.
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The answer
Sales and marketing has the largest reported national point estimate among the listed functions: 14.3% of all in-scope businesses. Strategy and business development is 12.4%, information technology 11.4%, and research and development 11.2%. These describe use over the previous six months.
How to read this finding
The future-function table has a different denominator: businesses planning to use AI. Its percentages must not be read as adoption rates for all businesses or subtracted from the past-function percentages as growth. A business can report several functions.
Detailed AI supplement: collected November 17, 2025–February 8, 2026; released April 23, 2026. Past-use questions look back six months unless otherwise specified; future questions look forward six months from the survey response.
Which business functions used AI?
In the last six months, did this business use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in any of the following business functions?
| Function reporting yes | Businesses (%) | Standard error (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Production of goods (e.g., making or assembling products, construction) | 1.7 | 0.03 |
| Provision of services, products, or merchandise (e.g., providing services, products, or merchandise to customers) | 6.4 | 0.08 |
| Strategy and business development | 12.4 | 0.11 |
| Finance and accounting | 6.6 | 0.08 |
| Sales and marketing | 14.3 | 0.11 |
| Customer service | 7.6 | 0.09 |
| Research and development | 11.2 | 0.10 |
| Information technology | 11.4 | 0.09 |
| Human resources | 4.2 | 0.07 |
| Public relations and communication | 9.3 | 0.08 |
| Management and administration | 8.1 | 0.09 |
| Sourcing, supply chains, and purchasing | 2.6 | 0.06 |
| Quality management and control | 2.8 | 0.03 |
| Distribution | 0.9 | 0.03 |
| Legal and compliance | 7.1 | 0.09 |
Past-function percentages represent all in-scope businesses. The future-function table below represents AI planners. Their denominators differ.
Which business functions are expected to use AI?
During the next six months, do you think this business will be using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in any of the following business functions?
| Function reporting yes | Businesses (%) | Standard error (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Production of goods (e.g., making or assembling products, construction) | 8.1 | 0.16 |
| Provision of services, products, or merchandise (e.g., providing services, products, or merchandise to customers) | 32.4 | 0.39 |
| Strategy and business development | 57.4 | 0.42 |
| Finance and accounting | 36.5 | 0.28 |
| Sales and marketing | 62.8 | 0.56 |
| Customer service | 40.0 | 0.38 |
| Research and development | 48.3 | 0.32 |
| Information technology | 47.3 | 0.28 |
| Human resources | 21.6 | 0.23 |
| Public relations and communication | 43.8 | 0.37 |
| Management and administration | 38.2 | 0.29 |
| Sourcing, supply chains, and purchasing | 14.6 | 0.18 |
| Quality management and control | 18.3 | 0.22 |
| Distribution | 6.3 | 0.13 |
| Legal and compliance | 32.3 | 0.34 |
A practical business conversation
An entrepreneur can investigate one function with a clear customer problem. For example, interview owners about a recurring marketing process, the quality checks it needs, and the cost of implementation. The survey helps locate questions; customer interviews establish demand.
Define the function and the respondent group before comparing percentages.
What this evidence cannot establish
A function label does not disclose the tool, spending level, depth of integration, or return on investment. Point estimates do not automatically establish statistically distinct rankings.