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Simon Willison

The U.S. Census Bureau and “Super Intelligence”

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Simon Willison discusses how the U.S. Census Bureau’s Business Trends and Outlook Survey has changed its AI‑adoption question wording, leading to a marked rise in reported AI usage among large companies. Using updated October 2026 data, he shows that firms with 250+ employees now report AI use in any business function at about 40%, up from roughly 12% in September 2025 when the question focused on producing goods or services. He notes that this shift coincides with the Bureau’s compliance with Executive Order 14434, the so‑called Super Intelligence order.

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