Eighty-eight percent of surveyed organizations reported using artificial intelligence in at least one business function during 2025, up from 78 percent in 2024, according to the Economy chapter of the 2026 AI Index Report published by the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. Over half of respondents said three or more business functions now run on AI.

Depth of deployment trails breadth. The report records AI agent deployment in the single digits across nearly all individual business functions, placing the bulk of organizational use in assistive tools.

United States labor data shows demand shifting toward agent-oriented skills. Mentions of generative AI skills in US AI job postings grew 111 percent between 2024 and 2025, reaching 138,188 postings. Broad artificial intelligence and machine learning skill clusters accounted for 1.7 percent and 1.0 percent of all US job postings in 2025.

Consumer-side value also climbed. Estimated US consumer surplus from generative AI reached $172 billion annually by early 2026, up from $112 billion a year earlier, with the median value per user tripling over the same period.

Workforce effects concentrate at the entry level. Employment for software developers ages 22 to 25 has fallen nearly 20 percent from 2024. One-third of surveyed employers expect AI to reduce their workforce over the coming year, with anticipated reductions highest in service operations, supply chain, and software engineering. Almost half of organizations surveyed expect little to no change.

Measured productivity gains cluster in structured, monitorable work. The report cites gains of 14 to 15 percent in customer support, 26 percent in software development, and 50 percent in marketing output, with smaller gains in tasks requiring deeper reasoning.

Source: Stanford HAI AI Index - https://hai.stanford.edu/ai-index/2026-ai-index-report/economy