Bluehost has released its first survey of how U.S. small businesses are using artificial intelligence, and the company says the main challenge is no longer access to the tools. The larger issue, according to the report, is whether owners feel confident enough to use AI in ways that produce business results.
The study, conducted with ListenLabs, surveyed 350 small business owners across a range of industries in May 2026. It found that 87% already use at least one AI tool, and more than half use AI every day. General-purpose chat tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude were among the most common products in use.
Even so, respondents rated their ability to use AI effectively at 5.3 out of 10 on average. Only 20% said they were highly confident using the technology.
Bluehost said the findings point to an “AI confidence divide” among small businesses, with more experienced and more self-assured users more likely to see financial returns. The company argues that the gap may increasingly become a revenue gap as AI use becomes more central to everyday operations.
The report suggests that small businesses are already seeing practical benefits, even if many are still learning how to use the tools well. About 78% of owners said AI saves them time each week, and 48% said it saves them four hours or more weekly. Nearly four in 10 respondents reported some revenue growth since adopting AI.
But the relationship between confidence and business impact appears strong. Owners who described themselves as highly confident in AI were nearly three times as likely to report revenue gains as those with low confidence, at 65% versus 23%. Those with more than two years of AI experience were about twice as likely to report positive revenue impact as newer users, at 55% versus 27%.
Time savings also appeared linked to business results. Owners who said AI saves them 16 or more hours a week were 3.7 times as likely to report positive revenue impact as those saving just one to three hours, 72% compared with 20%.
The study also found clear limits on how far owners are willing to trust AI, especially for customer-facing work. Only 6% said they highly trust AI to write in their brand voice, suggesting many businesses still prefer human oversight in public-facing content.
Another area where owners appear to need more guidance is AI search optimization. Nearly nine in 10 respondents had not taken steps to optimize their websites for AI search, and 22% said they were hearing about the idea for the first time in the study.
Interest in more advanced automation is emerging, but deployment remains limited. While 79% said they are aware of AI agents, only 16% have used one. Among the tasks owners most want to automate are site and SEO updates, social media and Google ad management, and lead capture and appointment booking.
Bluehost said the report will help shape its product plans and a new AI Confidence webinar series aimed at small business owners. The company framed the study as part of a broader effort to make AI more accessible and useful for smaller companies that often lack the technical resources available to larger firms.
Sachin Puri, Bluehost’s chief executive, said AI can be valuable for small businesses if it is simple to use and supported by human help when needed. Salim Ali, the company’s chief marketing officer, said the findings show the importance of helping small firms adopt technology that can support growth across the wider economy.
The company said the survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 5.2 percentage points.