AI adoption gap in trades: 12% embedded AI vs 66% expecting impact

In a 2026 survey, two-thirds of contractors expected AI to reshape the trade, but only 12% had actually embedded it. This gap presents an opportunity for early movers.

“In a 2026 survey, two-thirds of contractors expected AI to reshape the trade, but only 12% had actually embedded it.”

Signals are extracted from public coverage and print archives and pinned to a verbatim quote, presented as reported by their sources; naming a company in a signal is not an accusation against it. The verified mark denotes a high-confidence, corroborated signal. See our methodology and legal notes.