| The 2026 Intuit QuickBooks AI Impact Report is the most comprehensive look at how AI is changing the way small and midsize businesses work and grow. Get the full findings below. Just click to read. |
Inside the 2026 AI Impact Report
If you’re wondering where your business fits in the AI moment, whether you’re ahead, behind, or right on track, you’re not alone. The 2026 AI Impact Report pulls together survey responses from more than 34,000 small and midsize business owners and anonymized data from more than 5.3 million QuickBooks businesses across the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia.
Here are six findings worth knowing before you dig in. Scroll on to explore the data behind each one, and get the full picture in the 2026 AI Impact Report.
1. AI use is now widespread
Roughly 7 in 10 businesses across the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia now use AI regularly, and daily use has more than doubled in some markets.
2. The results are real
Businesses using AI are more likely to report improvements than setbacks, including productivity gains, revenue lift, shorter workdays, and more hiring than cuts.
3. Paid commitment tends to stick
In our sample, roughly 8 in 10 businesses that paid for AI in 2024 were still paying in 2025. Businesses that go deep on AI don’t tend to walk away.
4. Paid use has a clear profile
Newer businesses. Growth-focused leaders. Digital-first industries. The businesses paying to use AI share a recognizable profile, and some might surprise you.
5. The biggest barrier isn’t cost
Across countries, the top barriers cluster around privacy and security, fear of errors, and uncertainty about what AI can do.
6. Businesses know where AI belongs
Adoption is highest in marketing, admin, and customer service. It’s lowest where human judgment matters most.
Ready to go deeper? Here’s what the data looks like up close.
More than 3 in 4 small and midsize businesses in the US now use AI regularly
When we began tracking AI use through quarterly surveys in July 2024, fewer than half of businesses in most countries used it regularly. By January 2026, that number had climbed sharply, and daily use had grown even faster. This includes any kind of AI use, from free tools and built-in features to dedicated paid subscriptions. The businesses leading that shift are reporting real results:
- 77% of US businesses now use AI regularly, up from 48% in July 2024.
- 78% of US businesses say AI has improved their productivity, up from 46% in July 2024.
- 43% of US businesses say AI has increased their revenue. Only 2% say it’s gone the other way.
- 4x as many US businesses say AI has increased hiring than reduced it.
“AI allows a small team to operate with the maturity, governance, and delivery capability of a much larger organisation.”
— Andrew Price, CEO, Synapx
Think you know how small businesses are using AI? Take the quiz.
We took the latest findings from the 2026 AI Impact Report to the streets, quizzing real business owners on what the data actually shows. How many did they get right?
| Two years of tracking. One clear picture of where AI stands for small and midsize businesses—and where it’s headed. No form. No email. Just the report. |
Not just AI adoption. AI investment.
Beyond survey data, anonymized payment records map how many observed businesses put real money behind standalone AI tools. Roughly 1 in 10 in every market are paying for dedicated AI tools, embedding them deeply into their operations. And most were still invested a year later.
- 12% of US businesses with observed payment records paid for dedicated AI tools between 2021 and 2025. A small share, but most are staying invested.
- 86% of US businesses we tracked that paid for AI in 2024 were still paying in 2025. Once businesses invest, they don’t walk away.
- 32% of businesses in the US information sector, the highest rate of any industry in our sample, paid for AI between 2021 and 2025.
- Growth-focused businesses in our sample are more than twice as likely to pay for dedicated AI tools as those focused on stability.
“AI handles the busywork so we can focus on delivering the best possible experience to our customers while maximizing revenue.”
— Olivia Petrou-Stanchev, Founder, Olive & Fig
The data is comprehensive. The takeaway is simple.
You’re not falling behind your peers.
Most business owners start cautiously. If you’re using AI sometimes but haven’t committed fully, you’re not an outlier. You’re on your way.
AI shows up first where the busywork is.
Businesses tend to reach for AI for the tasks that eat the most time: admin, customer communication, and scheduling. That’s where the early wins are.
Human judgment still matters.
Across all four countries, businesses are drawing lines about where AI belongs. That’s not resistance, that’s good instinct.
More owners say AI helps than hinders.
The “just another tool to manage” concern is real, but so is the data. Businesses using AI report productivity gains.
When you’re ready to invest, you won’t look back.
Commitment is high among businesses paying to use AI. That’s a strong signal that something is working.
“When you run a small business, burnout is real, especially when a small team is wearing a lot of hats. AI helps give us time back. And that’s priceless.”
— Christina Maag, Founder, Hoopla
The most comprehensive look at AI adoption among small and midsize businesses.
The 2026 AI Impact Report is built on survey responses from more than 34,000 business owners and anonymized data from more than 5.3 million QuickBooks businesses across the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia, and developed in collaboration with economists at the University of Chicago. Free to download, no email required. |