---
title: "Factors in AI adoption — Knowledge data 2026"
url: https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2026/knowledge/data/ai-adopt
year: 2026
chapter: "knowledge"
question: "AIAdopt"
section: "AI adoption and cost"
licence: "ODbL 1.0 (https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/1-0/)"
---

# Factors in AI adoption

Output quality, security, and price drive adoption — organizations are pragmatic and risk-averse.

Asked as: When you or your organization decides whether to adopt, continue using, or expand use of an AI tool or model for your work, which factors matter most? Select up to 3. (`AIAdopt`, multi select, optional, v2026.1)

## Options offered

1. The tool produces useful and accurate results
2. The tool works well with how people already do their jobs
3. The tool meets security, privacy requirements
4. The tool meets legal or compliance requirements
5. The price is acceptable for the value it provides
6. The tool is worth paying more for because of better results
7. Usage and spending are easy to monitor or limit
8. The tool connects with systems people already use
9. The organization can switch tools or models without major disruption
10. Employees or teams are asking to use it
11. There is evidence that the tool improves business outcomes
12. The tool reduces time spent correcting, retrying, or reworking outputs
13. The tool has observability already integrated or built in
14. Review burden is low
15. Human oversight is manageable
16. Your company policy allows for usage
17. Not sure
18. Other, please specify (with free-text entry)

## Results

### All Respondents

n = 11,462

|  | Respondents | Percent |
| --- | ---: | ---: |
| The tool produces useful and accurate results | 3,520 | 30.7% |
| The tool meets security, privacy requirements | 3,290 | 28.7% |
| The price is acceptable for the value it provides | 3,090 | 27.0% |
| The tool meets legal or compliance requirements | 2,557 | 22.3% |
| Not sure | 2,522 | 22.0% |
| Your company policy allows for usage | 1,844 | 16.1% |
| Employees or teams are asking to use it | 1,451 | 12.7% |
| There is evidence that the tool improves business outcomes | 1,446 | 12.6% |
| The tool reduces time spent correcting, retrying, or reworking outputs | 1,401 | 12.2% |
| The tool is worth paying more for because of better results | 1,137 | 9.9% |
| Usage and spending are easy to monitor or limit | 1,089 | 9.5% |
| The tool works well with how people already do their jobs | 1,055 | 9.2% |
| The tool connects with systems people already use | 767 | 6.7% |
| The organization can switch tools or models without major disruption | 665 | 5.8% |
| Human oversight is manageable | 663 | 5.8% |
| Other | 368 | 3.2% |
| Review burden is low | 320 | 2.8% |
| The tool has observability already integrated or built in | 213 | 1.9% |

### Daily AI Users

n = 7,680

|  | Respondents | Percent |
| --- | ---: | ---: |
| The tool produces useful and accurate results | 2,604 | 33.9% |
| The tool meets security, privacy requirements | 2,269 | 29.5% |
| The price is acceptable for the value it provides | 2,420 | 31.5% |
| The tool meets legal or compliance requirements | 1,735 | 22.6% |
| Not sure | 1,252 | 16.3% |
| Your company policy allows for usage | 1,279 | 16.7% |
| Employees or teams are asking to use it | 1,103 | 14.4% |
| There is evidence that the tool improves business outcomes | 1,078 | 14.0% |
| The tool reduces time spent correcting, retrying, or reworking outputs | 1,098 | 14.3% |
| The tool is worth paying more for because of better results | 981 | 12.8% |
| Usage and spending are easy to monitor or limit | 850 | 11.1% |
| The tool works well with how people already do their jobs | 774 | 10.1% |
| The tool connects with systems people already use | 594 | 7.7% |
| The organization can switch tools or models without major disruption | 523 | 6.8% |
| Human oversight is manageable | 425 | 5.5% |
| Other | 113 | 1.5% |
| Review burden is low | 186 | 2.4% |
| The tool has observability already integrated or built in | 160 | 2.1% |

### Weekly AI Users

n = 1,724

|  | Respondents | Percent |
| --- | ---: | ---: |
| The tool produces useful and accurate results | 460 | 26.7% |
| The tool meets security, privacy requirements | 543 | 31.5% |
| The price is acceptable for the value it provides | 409 | 23.7% |
| The tool meets legal or compliance requirements | 423 | 24.5% |
| Not sure | 476 | 27.6% |
| Your company policy allows for usage | 299 | 17.3% |
| Employees or teams are asking to use it | 173 | 10.0% |
| There is evidence that the tool improves business outcomes | 178 | 10.3% |
| The tool reduces time spent correcting, retrying, or reworking outputs | 157 | 9.1% |
| The tool is worth paying more for because of better results | 85 | 4.9% |
| Usage and spending are easy to monitor or limit | 160 | 9.3% |
| The tool works well with how people already do their jobs | 162 | 9.4% |
| The tool connects with systems people already use | 101 | 5.9% |
| The organization can switch tools or models without major disruption | 90 | 5.2% |
| Human oversight is manageable | 118 | 6.8% |
| Other | 38 | 2.2% |
| Review burden is low | 61 | 3.5% |
| The tool has observability already integrated or built in | 26 | 1.5% |

### Monthly/Infrequent AI Users

n = 501

|  | Respondents | Percent |
| --- | ---: | ---: |
| The tool produces useful and accurate results | 130 | 25.9% |
| The tool meets security, privacy requirements | 156 | 31.1% |
| The price is acceptable for the value it provides | 92 | 18.4% |
| The tool meets legal or compliance requirements | 123 | 24.6% |
| Not sure | 147 | 29.3% |
| Your company policy allows for usage | 97 | 19.4% |
| Employees or teams are asking to use it | 57 | 11.4% |
| There is evidence that the tool improves business outcomes | 49 | 9.8% |
| The tool reduces time spent correcting, retrying, or reworking outputs | 51 | 10.2% |
| The tool is worth paying more for because of better results | 27 | 5.4% |
| Usage and spending are easy to monitor or limit | 29 | 5.8% |
| The tool works well with how people already do their jobs | 46 | 9.2% |
| The tool connects with systems people already use | 36 | 7.2% |
| The organization can switch tools or models without major disruption | 17 | 3.4% |
| Human oversight is manageable | 46 | 9.2% |
| Other | 19 | 3.8% |
| Review burden is low | 17 | 3.4% |
| The tool has observability already integrated or built in | 9 | 1.8% |

In context: https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2026/knowledge/data.md