Exclusive: How small businesses are really using AI around the country
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Small businesses across America are embracing AI, but usage and spending vary dramatically by state, according to exclusive Goldman Sachs data shared with Axios.
The big picture: Companies nationwide, big and small, are figuring out how best to incorporate AI into their workforces and what that means for productivity.
By the numbers: The survey of 2,474 small business owners who graduated from or participated in Goldman Sachs' 10,000 Small Businesses program found 86% of program graduates use AI in their workplaces.
- In the Washington, D.C., area, 88% of 187 sampled businesses have fully integrated AI, with nearly half actively using it for their work.
- The most common use for D.C. small businesses was for productivity, which includes taking notes, writing e-mails and documenting processes.
Zoom in: Business owners across states have various reasons for using AI.
- In Texas, 86% of the 185 businesses surveyed say they fully integrate AI, with 71% of them using AI for generating written marketing content more than anything else.
- Out of the 69 Florida graduates surveyed, 93% say they have fully integrated AI. Of those who use it, 77% say they mainly use AI for enhancing productivity, with 72% saying they use it for generating written content.
By the numbers: Spending habits are also pretty variable by location.
- For the Washington, D.C., area, about 12% of fully AI-integrated businesses said they don't pay for it at all, whereas 69% spend $100 or less per month.
- In the New York City region, 65% of those who have fully integrated AI into the workplace spend $100 or less.
Stunning stat: For all the talk about AI's explosive growth in the enterprise, Goldman's data show that 73% of the small businesses surveyed are spending $100 or less per month on AI.
The bottom line: AI is becoming more integrated into the workplace, but why businesses use it, and what they're willing to spend, are not always the same.
