Artificial Intelligence isn’t just an experiment anymore, it’s reshaping how people work, learn, and build. Anthropic’s September 2025 Economic Index provides one of the clearest snapshots yet of how AI is being used across industries and regions.
The findings are eye-opening: adoption has doubled in just two years, companies are leaning into automation faster than expected, and the biggest barriers are not about cost but about data and workflows.
Here’s a high-level overview and why business leaders should care.
- AI at Work Is Already Mainstream
In 2023, about 20% of U.S. employees reported using AI at work. Today, that number is closer to 40%. This surge shows that AI is no longer confined to early adopters. It’s becoming mainstream across organizations.
Why it matters: If nearly half of the workforce is already leveraging AI, standing still means falling behind. The question is not ‘if’ your teams will use AI, but ‘how’ and whether they’ll do it in a way that protects your business and delivers real value.
- Employees Are Handing Whole Workflows to AI
The report shows a shift in how AI is being used. Two years ago, employees primarily asked AI to assist with tasks. Now, directive prompts “Do this, create this, run this” have risen sharply.
Why it matters: This evolution means AI is taking on more complete workflows, not just supporting tasks. For leaders, this raises both opportunity (productivity) and risk (quality control, compliance).
- Enterprises Lean on APIs for Automation
When businesses connect to AI through APIs, the usage pattern looks very different: 77% of API traffic is automation-heavy. Companies are entrusting AI to generate code, process documents, and handle high-value tasks.
And interestingly, cost per task isn’t the deciding factor. Businesses are willing to pay more when a task delivers more value.
Why it matters: Leaders should stop asking, “How cheap is this AI tool?” and start asking, “Which processes deliver the highest ROI if automated?” That’s where AI will pay off.
- Your Systems – Not AI – Are the Bottleneck
One of the most important insights: tasks that require rich organizational context like deep domain expertise, tacit knowledge, or data trapped in silos remain harder to automate.
Why it matters: The companies that win with AI won’t just plug into the latest model. They’ll invest in data infrastructure, workflows, and governance that make automation possible.
- Adoption Gaps Are Creating Tomorrow’s Winners and Losers
The Index highlights sharp geographic and sector differences. Smaller economies like Singapore and Israel are punching above their weight in AI use. Within the U.S., Washington, D.C., and Utah are leading on a per-capita basis, surpassing even California.
Why it matters: Competitive advantage is already shifting. Industries and regions that move faster on AI adoption will have a structural edge.
What Leaders Should Do Now
The Anthropic report is clear: AI adoption isn’t slowing. It’s accelerating and moving deeper into automation. For business leaders, the message is simple:
• Focus on value, not cost. Start where automation drives measurable ROI.
• Prepare your data and workflows. Clean, connected information is the real foundation for AI.
• Start small, but start now. A few high-value pilots can teach your teams how to scale responsibly.
At ILM, we help organizations cut through the noise and build AI strategies that are secure, scalable, and aligned with business outcomes.
If you’d like to explore how these trends affect your business, reach out for a free AI consultation and let’s chart the path forward together.