The U.S. Census Bureau released new data from the Business Trends and Outlook Survey on May 21, 2026, providing updated information on business conditions and projections across the United States. The latest release includes supplemental questions about how businesses are using artificial intelligence.
The addition of AI-related questions to the survey aims to give a clearer picture of technology adoption among businesses of different sizes, industries, and locations. The results show how artificial intelligence is being used in various sectors and what types of tasks it supports within organizations.
According to the Census Bureau, “New supplemental questions capturing business use of artificial intelligence (AI) were added to the BTOS from Nov. 17, 2025, to Feb. 8, 2026. These data are now available on the BTOS webpage as data download files and visualizations.” The agency also said that “the data show how artificial intelligence is being adopted across businesses, including differences by industries, geography (states) and firm size.” In addition, “the data provide insights into how AI is being used within businesses, the types of tasks it supports and how it is changing work.”
The Business Trends and Outlook Survey covers all employer businesses in the country except for farms. It collects information every two weeks from a sample of about 1.2 million businesses divided into six panels who report quarterly over a yearlong period.
Data from this ongoing survey are released biweekly with details available by sector, state, and for major metropolitan areas. Officials at all levels use these findings for policymaking while companies use them for economic planning.
Looking ahead, biweekly updates will continue to offer real-time insights into trends such as technology adoption in American workplaces.
