08/27/2026
The companies getting real value from AI aren't the ones doing the most with it. New federal research says so directly.
Among firms using AI, 57% use it in three or fewer business functions. Three. Not thirty. And 65% limit worker-level use to three or fewer tasks. The most common function by a wide margin is sales and marketing, at 52%.
Here's why that matters: "we're adopting AI" isn't a plan, it's a mood. It gets you a dozen half-finished experiments and nothing that runs by itself. The firms seeing results made a smaller decision — this one process, built properly, running every week.
Worth noting from the same research: AI-related job decreases showed up in only 2% of firms. Most businesses are using it to support the people they already have.
So how do you pick? Sort your processes by how often they repeat and what a mistake costs. Start where it repeats a lot and the stakes are low — follow-up, first drafts, intake, scheduling. Keep the high-stakes work with a human and give that human AI support.
This week: list every process that repeats more than five times a week. Circle three. Build one properly before touching the others.
You don't need more information. You need implementation.
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