AI adoption in 2026: use, spending, and returns

Nathan Benaich compares three AI adoption estimates with different populations and definitions: McKinsey's 2026 survey (nearly nine in ten respondents report regular AI use in at least one business function), Ramp's AI Index (55.9% in September 2026, based on observed payments among US businesses in its transaction sample), and the US Census Bureau's BTOS (19.8% for the period ending May 3, 2026). The piece argues these figures cannot be averaged into a single adoption rate because they measure different things over different periods, and it notes that McKinsey reports 37% of respondents attribute some positive EBIT impact to AI, which is a reported financial outcome rather than an adoption rate or causal estimate.