Data · Small Business AI Spend Pulse · Updated November 5, 2026
50.03% of US small businesses paid for at least one AI product or service in September 2026, up from 38.57% in September 2025. Source: Ramp AI Index, published on FRED (series RAMPAISMB).
The read for November 2026
From January to September 2026 the share rose 9.9 points, more than 6.3 points across January to December 2025. For a Tennessee owner, that means most of your competitors' peers are past the trial stage: the question is which workflow AI should carry first.
| Month | Share paying for AI |
|---|---|
| September 2026 | 50.03% |
| August 2026 | 49.51% |
| July 2026 | 48.97% |
| June 2026 | 48.03% |
| May 2026 | 47.34% |
| April 2026 | 46.06% |
The Ramp AI Index is the share of US businesses in Ramp's sample with an observed payment for an AI product or service in a given month, identified from card, invoice and ACH transactions across more than 70,000 businesses. This page uses the small-business series. Values are not seasonally adjusted.
Ramp's sample is its own customers, not a random sample of all US businesses. Read it as a trend signal alongside the Census survey on the Tennessee AI Adoption Tracker.
Source: Ramp, Artificial Intelligence Adoption by Ramp Businesses: Small Businesses [RAMPAISMB], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, October 21, 2026. Refreshes monthly. Download the data (JSON).
Half of small businesses pay for AI. Fifteen minutes to find where it should earn its keep in yours.