According to data from the Ramp AI Index cited by The Kobeissi Letter, paid artificial intelligence adoption among businesses reached record levels in 2026. The report highlights a significant shift in adoption rates across various sectors, with technology and finance leading the charge.
Technology and media firms currently hold the highest adoption rate at 80.6%, the highest share on record. Finance and insurance companies have also seen rapid growth, with 73.1% of firms now paying for AI subscriptions. This figure represents a sharp increase from roughly 60% in December 2025. Major financial institutions, including JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS), have deployed these tools for core functions such as risk modeling, fraud detection, and regulatory compliance.
The data indicates that AI adoption is spreading beyond traditional tech-heavy industries. Manufacturing adoption reached a record 60.4%, making it the third-highest sector tracked, nearly doubling since the start of 2025. Retail adoption followed closely, reaching a record 49%, a 20 percentage point increase over the same period. Other sectors, including health care at 42.9%, construction at 42%, and accommodation and food services at 31.9%, continue to grow steadily.
The broader trend is reflected in hardware earnings, with Foxconn, a server assembly partner of Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ: NVDA), reporting record revenue of $29.15 billion for August. This figure was up nearly 52% from the previous year, driven by strong demand for AI infrastructure.
