Which industries use AI, and which are being left behind
More than half of information and communication businesses use AI. In construction it is about one in eight. The gap says as much about the work as about the technology.
AI adoption is not even. The ONS figures for June 2026 show the information and communication sector well ahead, with 58% of businesses using at least one AI technology, while construction sits at 13%. Size matters too: 49% of firms with 250 or more employees use AI, against 28% of the smallest.
ONS Business Insights and Conditions Survey, wave 159. Approximate shares.
Show the data
| Information and communication | 58% |
|---|---|
| 250 or more employees | 49% |
| All firms with 10+ employees | 35% |
| Construction | 13% |
Why the gap
Businesses whose product is already information, such as software, media and professional services, have the data, the habits and the staff to use AI straight away. A construction firm’s product is built on site. Its paperwork is often still on paper, spread across subcontractors, and the people who would use AI are out at work.
Where slower sectors can start
- Capturing receipts and delivery notes from a phone, read automatically.
- Matching subcontractor invoices to CIS statements and payments.
- Drafting quotes and variations from templates and past jobs.
- Chasing payments with reminders that adapt to how each customer pays.
In every sector, the first gains are in the finance and administration that every business has. That is good news for a business that is behind: it does not need to change its trade to catch up.
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