The Census Bureau reset its AI-use measure
The Census Bureau explains why its business AI-use chart has a break. Starting in November 2025, it asked about AI in any business function. The old question covered making goods or services. The bureau saw a shift in results and began a new series for data released in December.
What the source reports
The Census Bureau’s December 2025 note explains a change to its Business Trends and Outlook Survey. The earlier AI question asked if a business used AI to produce goods or services in the last two weeks. The revised question asks about AI in any business function. The bureau says interviews showed that some firms using AI for hiring, accounting, or other tasks said no under the old words. It made the same change to its question about future use. After seeing a shift tied to the new wording, it started a new series with data released on December 4, 2025. Old answers remain in a separate historical table. A chart that crosses this break needs to label it; the note does not say the wording alone explains every later change.
Original source
- Title
- BTOS AI Core Question Updates
- Author
- U.S. Census Bureau
- Date
- Wednesday, December 3, 2025