AI adoption in the U.S. is showing signs of divergence by company size. Larger firms beginning to scale back while smaller businesses maintain steady growth, according to biweekly survey data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The survey, covering 1.2 million firms, tracks usage of AI technologies such as machine learning, natural language processing, voice recognition, and virtual agents. Recent six-survey moving averages indicate that companies with more than 250 employees — once the fastest adopters — have seen a measurable decline in adoption rates since mid-2025.
By contrast, smaller firms, particularly those with fewer than 50 employees, continue to show gradual but consistent increases in adoption. This reflects an ongoing shift where leaner organizations, often more agile in implementing new tools, are sustaining momentum as larger enterprises reassess costs, risks, and integration complexity.
Key findings from the Census data include:
- Large enterprises (250+ employees): Adoption peaked in mid-2025, reaching above 13%, before easing back toward 12%.
- Mid-sized firms (100–249 employees): Growth has plateaued after steady increases through early 2025.
- Smaller firms (under 50 employees): Adoption rates continue trending upward, with micro-firms (1–4 employees) surpassing 10% by August 2025.
Analysts suggest several factors behind the slowdown at the top tier. Larger firms face higher integration costs, more complex compliance requirements, and organizational inertia that slows rapid deployment. At the same time, smaller firms may view AI tools as a cost-effective way to compete with larger rivals by automating workflows and improving productivity.
The data underscores a key inflection point: AI adoption is no longer accelerating uniformly across the business landscape. Instead, the market is segmenting, with smaller firms embracing steady gains while larger enterprises recalibrate their AI strategies amid cost pressures and regulatory uncertainty.
Source:
https://www.apolloacademy.com/ai-adoption-rate-trending-down-for-large-companies/
