The use of artificial intelligence in business is nothing new. Companies have been using AI technology to cut costs and increase efficiency outputs for years.
But the recent surge in the generative AI market has helped AI become a mainstream business technology. Specifically, large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Midjourney are helping to boost AI adoption rates.
With this in mind, we’ll cover the following:
Companies Using AI Stats (Top Picks)
- 35% of global companies use AI.
- Approximately half of businesses plan on incorporating AI into their processes this year.
- China has the highest rate of AI adoption (around 58% of companies)
- The global AI market is expected to reach $1.85 trillion by 2030.
- Larger enterprise companies are 2x more likely to use AI than smaller businesses.
What Percentage Of Companies Use AI in 2024?
According to the latest data, 35% of global companies report using AI in their business.
Notably, 42% of companies have reported exploring AI use within their company. Over 50% of companies plan to incorporate AI technologies in 2024.
That means that over 77% of companies are either using or exploring the use of AI.
There are 333.34 million companies worldwide, meaning over 250 million companies are using or exploring AI in their business operations.
In 2017, only 20% of companies incorporated AI into their product offerings and business operations. But 72% of those businesses believed AI would have an impact on their business within 5 years.
Here is a closer look at the percentage of companies using AI in at least one business function since 2017:
| Year | Percentage of Companies |
| 2017 | 20% |
| 2018 | 47% |
| 2019 | 58% |
| 2020 | 50% |
| 2021 | 56% |
| 2022 | 50% |
Over the last five years, AI usage has flattened out and stabilized after rapid growth from 2017 to 2018. However, this is likely to rapidly increase once data from 2023 becomes available.
688 new AI startups were launched in Q1 2022. In Q1 2023, only 269 AI startups were launched. That’s a 69% decrease year over year.
However, there was a 300% increase in small, bootstrapped AI products launched in Q1 of 2023.
Another number expected to grow is total jobs in the AI industry. In 2023, 83% of AI startups had fewer than 10 employees.
Source: McKinsey, IBM, Forbes, Sortlist
Activity And Implementation Data
As AI technology evolves, businesses are finding new ways to implement it into their operations. The most common use of AI currently is customer service. 56% of business owners use AI for customer service tasks.
Here’s a look at the most common ways companies are using AI:
| # | Business Function | Share |
| 1 | Customer Service | 56% |
| 2 | Cybersecurity & Fraud Prevention | 51% |
| 3 | Digital Assistants | 47% |
| 4 | Customer Relationship Management | 46% |
| 5 | Inventory Management | 40% |
| 6 | Content Creation | 35% |
| 7 | Product Recommendations | 33% |
| =8 | Accounting | 30% |
| =8 | Supply Chain Operations | 30% |
| 10 | Recruiting | 26% |
Source: Forbes
Global AI Adoption By Region
As of 2024, China is leading the world in total AI deployment in business. 58% of companies have implemented AI.
India is the next largest, with 57% of companies using AI, followed by Canada at 48%.
Surprisingly, the United States has one of the lowest AI adoption rates, with only 25% of companies using AI.
Here is a complete breakdown of global company AI adoption rates:
| Country | AI Deployment Rate | AI Exploration Rate |
| China | 58% | 30% |
| India | 57% | 27% |
| Canada | 48% | 28% |
| Italy | 42% | 41% |
| Singapore | 39% | 46% |
| United Arab Emirates | 38% | 40% |
| Global | 35% | 42% |
| Germany | 34% | 44% |
| France | 31% | 44% |
| Spain | 31% | 45% |
| Latin America (Region) | 29% | 43% |
| United Kingdom | 26% | 47% |
| United States | 25% | 43% |
| Australia | 24% | 44% |
| South Korea | 22% | 46% |
Source: IBM
AI Adoption Statistics And Market Growth Projections
The AI market is projected to reach $1.85 trillion by 2030.
Overall, the AI space is projected to grow at a 37.3% CAGR from 2024 to 2030.
Larger companies are twice as likely to adopt and deploy AI technologies in their business than small companies. In 2021, this number was only 69%.
In fact, over 50% of US companies with more than 5,000 employees currently use AI. This number grows to 60% for companies with more than 10,000 employees.
Overall, large-scale organizations make up the majority of companies using AI. Today, 42% of enterprise businesses with more than 1,000 employees use AI.
Source: Forbes, Next Move Strategy Consulting, MIT Sloan, IBM
The Future Of AI Use In Business
Artificial intelligence can dramatically increase business efficiency. According to 2024 data, AI saves an employee 2.5 hours per day on average.
Business owners are saving money from AI as well. 28% of business leaders have used AI to cut their company’s costs.
Employees with AI skills are likely to see a hot job market in the future. 66% of business owners and executives have already hired an employee to implement new AI or leverage existing AI processes.
Source: HubSpot
Conclusion
The AI market is growing rapidly and the percentage of companies using AI continues to grow with it.
As companies look to cut costs and increase outputs, business spending on AI tools and overall AI adoption will likely continue to grow.
If you’re interested in the future of AI and want to learn more, check out these related articles: AI Market Size and Top AI Trends.
