BTOS Instrument wi BTOS Instrument with Final AI supplement Questions

OMB No.: 0607-1022

OMB Expiration Date: 05/31/2028

Welcome to the Business Trends and Outlook Survey

Content V4 – COPY FOR OMB

Cycle 2 – AI supplement highlighted

Revised 07/23/2025

The U.S. Census Bureau is requesting your assistance to produce important data on current economic conditions, as well as the impact on our nation’s economy when natural disasters or other emergencies occur.

Your response is especially important as it helps policy makers, government officials, and businesses like yours understand these effects. Please complete this quick survey; it will take approximately 20 minutes

The data you provide will be aggregated to create a two-week snapshot of economic activity within the U.S. This survey is not intended to replace more comprehensive surveys that typically require the use of company records.

• Estimates are acceptable and encouraged.

• The survey will take approximately 20 minutes

• This survey includes questions about this business’s use of AI

• Please include all domestic operations of this consolidated business, including all locations, subsidiaries, and divisions.

1. FOR SINGLE UNITS ONLY Is the Employer Identification Number (EIN) used on this business’s latest Internal Revenue Service Form 941, Employer's Federal Quarterly Tax Return?

• Yes

• No

If no, please provide EIN:

2. Which of the following best describes the current operational status of this business? 
   •  In business
   •  Temporarily or seasonally inactive 
   •  Ceased operation 
   •  Sold or leased to another operator

3. Overall, how would you describe this business’s current performance? Please include all domestic operations of this consolidated business, including all locations, subsidiaries, and divisions.

• Excellent

• Above average

• Average

• Below average

• Poor

4. Between MMM DD – MMM DD, how did this business’s operating revenues/sales/receipts change? Please compare this two-week period to the two weeks prior. Estimates are acceptable.

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

5. Between MMM DD – MMM DD, how did this business’s number of paid employees change?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

6. Between MMM DD – MMM DD, how did the total number of hours worked by this business’s paid employees change?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

7. Between MMM DD – MMM DD, how did the time it takes for this business to receive deliveries from suppliers change?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

• Not applicable

8. How would you describe this business’s current inventories?

   • Larger than optimal

• Optimal

• Smaller than optimal

• Not applicable

9. Between MMM DD – MMM DD, how did demand for this business’s goods or services change?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

10. Between MMM DD – MMM DD, how did the prices this business charges for its own goods or services change?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

11. Between MMM DD – MMM DD, how did the prices this business pays for goods or services change?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

12. In the last six months, in what ways did changes to interest rates negatively impact this business? Select all that apply.

• Decreased profitability

• Inability to service debt

• Inability to refinance existing loans

• Inability to invest in this business

• Not applicable

13. In the last six months, did this business experience any monetary losses due to an extreme weather event (for example, hurricane, flood, drought, or heat wave)?

• Yes

• No

14. What type of extreme weather event caused the monetary losses? Select all that apply.

• Wildfire

• Earthquake

• Hurricane

• Tornado

• Flood

• Drought

• High winds

• Severe storm/hail

• Snow/blizzard/ice

• Extreme temperature (heat or cold)

• Other _____

15. Six months from now, how do you think you will describe this business’s performance?

• Excellent

• Above average

• Average

• Below average

• Poor

16. Six months from now, how do you think this business’s number of paid employees will have changed?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

17. Six months from now, how do you think the total number of hours worked by this business’s paid employees will have changed?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

18. Six months from now, how do you think the time it takes for this business to receive deliveries from suppliers will have changed?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

• Not applicable

19. Six months from now, how do you think you will describe this business’s inventories?

• Larger than optimal

• Optimal

• Smaller than optimal

• Not applicable

20. Six months from now, how do you think demand for this business’s goods or services will have changed?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

21. Six months from now, how do you think the prices this business charges for its own goods or services will have changed?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

22. Six months from now, how do you think the prices this business pays for goods or services will have changed?

• Increased

• Decreased

• No change

23. Between MMM DD – MMM DD, did this business use Artificial Intelligence (AI)¹ in producing goods or services? (Examples of AI: machine learning, natural language processing, virtual agents, voice recognition, etc.)

• Yes

• No

• Do not know

24. In the last six months, did this business use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in any of the following business functions?

	Yes	No	Don’t know
Production of goods (e.g., making or assembling products, construction)
Provision of services, products, or merchandise (e.g., providing services, products, or merchandise to customers)
Strategy and business development
Finance and accounting
Sales and marketing
Customer service
Research and development
Information technology
Human resources
Public relations and communication
Management and administration
Sourcing, supply chains, and purchasing
Quality management and control
Distribution
Legal and compliance

Skip to 30 if the answer to 24 is No

25. In the last six months, did this business use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to do any of the following? Select all that apply.

• Perform a task previously done by an employee

• Supplement or enhance a task performed by an employee

• Introduce a new task not previously done by an employee

• None of the above

Show 26 only if 25’s response is perform a task previously done by an employee, otherwise skip to 27.

26. In the last six months, how many tasks previously done by employees were instead performed by Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

• A small number

• A moderate number

• A large number

27. In the last six months, did this business use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to perform operations previously performed by existing software or equipment?

• Yes

• No

• Do not know

28. In the last six months, how did the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) affect this business’s total employment?

• Increased

• Decreased

• Did not change

29. In the last six months, to use Artificial Intelligence (AI), what changes did this business make? Select all that apply.

    • Trained current staff to use AI

    • Hired staff trained in AI

    • Purchased computing power or specialized equipment or software

    • Purchased cloud services or cloud storage

    • Changed data collection or data management practices

    • Developed new workflows

    • Used vendors or consulting services to install or integrate AI

    • Other (please describe: ___________________)

    • This business did not make any changes to use AI

30. In the last six months, did this business’s employees use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to assist in any work-related tasks that support business functions? (e.g. software coding, writing emails, preparing visualizations, summarizing documents, gathering and processing information)

• Yes

• No

• Do not know

31. In the last six months, did this business’ employees use Generative AI to assist in any work-related tasks? (Generative AI is a type of Artificial Intelligence that uses prompts or other inputs to create text, images, music, videos, or code. Some examples of Generative AI include ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Claude, Dall E, MidJourney, and GitHub Copilot.)

• Yes

• No

• Do not know

Skip to 33 if No or Do not know is selected for 31

32. In the last six months, what work-related tasks did this business’s employees use Generative AI to assist with? Select all that apply.

• Information processing, paperwork, or filing

• Writing or editing documents, emails, or communications

• Interpreting, analyzing, translating, or summarizing documents

• Customer support

• Developing or researching new projects, processes, or products

• Searching for information or technical help

• Software coding or debugging

• Data analysis or visualization

• Tutoring, training, or learning

• Other tasks (please describe: ___________________)

33. During the next six months, do you think this business will be using Artificial Intelligence (AI)² in any of its business functions? (Examples of AI: machine learning, natural language processing, virtual agents, voice recognition, etc.)

• Yes

• No

• Do not know

Skip to 35, if no or don’t know is selected for 33

34. During the next six months, do you think this business will be using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in any of the following business functions?

	Yes	No	Don’t know
Production of goods (e.g., making or assembling products, construction)
Provision of services, products, or merchandise (e.g., providing services, products, or merchandise to customers)
Strategy and business development
Finance and accounting
Sales and marketing
Customer service
Research and development
Information technology
Human resources
Public relations and communication
Management and administration
Sourcing, supply chains, and purchasing
Quality management and control
Distribution
Legal and compliance

35. Why does this business not plan to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) during the next six months? Select all that apply.

• Too expensive

• AI is not a mature enough technology yet

• Lack of knowledge on the capabilities of AI

• Concerns about privacy/security

• Concerns about bias

• Lack of skilled workforce

• Lack of required data

• Laws and regulations prevent or restrict use of AI

• Previous or current use of AI did not meet expectations

• AI is not applicable to this business

• Other (please describe: ___________________)

36. Would you like to provide any information about your responses to these questions or this business?

Remarks (500 characters)

37. For future Business Trends and Outlook Survey requests, please provide your preferred contact information:

Contact name:

Contact title:

Email:

38. Please correct the following information for your company

Doing Business As (DBA) name:

Street:

City/State:

Suite/ Unit:

Zip:

This collection has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The eight-digit OMB approval number is 0607-1022 and appears in the lower left corner of each reporting screen. Without this approval, we could not conduct this survey.

Authority and Confidentiality

Title 13, United States Code, Sections 131 and 182, authorizes the U.S. Census Bureau to conduct this collection and to request your voluntary assistance. The Census Bureau is required by Section 9 of the same law to keep your information confidential and use your responses only to produce statistics. The Census Bureau is not permitted to publicly release your responses in a way that could identify your business, organization, or institution. Per the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015, your data are protected from cybersecurity risks through screening of the systems that transmit your data.

Burden Estimate Statement

We estimate the Business Trends and Outlook Survey will take an average of 20 minutes to complete. Factors such as company size, complexity and activity will affect your actual time to complete the survey. This estimate includes the time to review instructions, search existing data sources, gather and maintain the data needed, and complete and review the survey.

You may email comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: econ.btos@census.gov. Be sure to use “EID Survey Comments 0607-1022” as the subject.

1 Added 10/23/23) AI Definition: Computer systems and software that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, such as decision-making, visual perception, speech recognition, and language processing.

Types or applications of AI include machine learning, natural language processing, virtual agents, predictive analytics, machine vision, voice recognition, decision making systems, data analytics, image processing, etc.

2 Added 10/23/23) AI Definition: Computer systems and software that are able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, such as decision-making, visual perception, speech recognition, and language processing.

Types or applications of AI include machine learning, natural language processing, virtual agents, predictive analytics, machine vision, voice recognition, decision making systems, data analytics, image processing, etc.

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