---
title: "Nearly eight in ten small businesses say they use AI; just over one in ten pays for it"
slug: estudio-pymes-usan-ia-pocas-pagan
lang: en
situation: comprar
format: estudio
minutes: 5
updated: 2026-10-19
publisher: "Intuit"
published: "2026-05-12"
sources:
  - label: "Intuit, 2026 AI Impact Report: Mapping Adoption, Use, and Impact Across Small to Midsize Businesses"
    url: "https://www.intuit.com/blog/global-stories/ai-impact-report/"
    date: "2026-05-12"
---

# Nearly eight in ten small businesses say they use AI; just over one in ten pays for it

> For small and midsize business owners and managers about to pay for their first dedicated AI tool, or to renew one.

## In 30 seconds

- In the US, 77% of small and midsize businesses surveyed by Intuit say they use AI regularly, but payment records show only 12% paid for dedicated AI tools between 2021 and 2025.
- Most use general or free tools. Paying for a specific tool is a different decision and deserves its own case.
- Before paying, list what you already use and compare against the process you want to improve.

## The exhibit

```exhibit
title: Using AI is common; paying for dedicated tools is not
unit: %
Use AI regularly (survey, US) | 77
Say it improved productivity (US) | 78
Say it increased revenue (US) | 43
Paid for dedicated AI tools 2021-2025 (records, US) | 12
note: Intuit with University of Chicago economists, 2026 AI Impact Report, May 12, 2026. Survey of 34,000+ SMB owners and anonymized data from 5.3M+ QuickBooks businesses (US, Canada, UK, Australia).
```

## Fact

- Roughly 7 in 10 businesses across the US, Canada, the UK and Australia use AI regularly. In the US the figure is 77%, up from 48% in July 2024.
- 78% of US small businesses say AI improved their productivity (46% in July 2024). 43% say it increased revenue; 2% say it reduced it.
- In payment records, about 1 in 10 businesses in every market pays for dedicated AI tools. 86% of US businesses that paid in 2024 were still paying in 2025.
- The US information sector has the highest payment rate: 32%. Adoption is highest in marketing, admin and customer service.

## My read

Two numbers should not be mixed: what people say they do and what shows up in the books. Using a free chatbot to draft emails counts as "using AI", but it is not the same as paying for a tool built into your operation. That most paying businesses keep paying the next year suggests that, when the choice is right, the tool stays. The useful question for a small business is not whether to use AI, but which process justifies paying for it.

## What to do on Monday

1. List what you already pay for and what you use for free, by area and by person. [Sheet: inventory of the AI you already pay for](/resources/inventario-ia-que-ya-pagas/)
2. Before any demo, prepare your questions on data, total cost and exit. [Sheet: five questions before the demo](/resources/cinco-preguntas-demo/)
3. Start with one admin, customer service or scheduling process and measure against a baseline before you pay. [Sheet: baseline, compared to what?](/resources/linea-base-comparado-con-que/)

## What we don't know

- Latin America is not covered; figures are from the US, Canada, the UK and Australia.
- Intuit sells software to small businesses; payment data only covers businesses that use QuickBooks.
- Productivity and revenue are self-reported, and the report doesn't precisely define "regularly".

## If this becomes a big decision

If the decision is hard to reverse and carries your name, the free tools at vicsol.org/decision-clarity/ help you structure it. They don't replace a formal review.

---

Vic Sol · Decision Desk · vicsol.org/resources/ · Free to use with attribution.
Independent summary of a public source; figures belong to their author. Not legal, financial or audit advice.