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Key Findings:
- While AI adoption hit 78% nationwide, states like South Dakota and Rhode Island saw usage drop, with South Dakota now the lowest at just 1.5% of businesses using AI.
- In states like West Virginia and Alaska, people search for AI the least, under 62 searches per 1,000 people
- States such as Wyoming and Kansas have few AI-related job openings and low policy support
AI is growing fast across the U.S., but not every state is keeping up.
While some states are investing in AI jobs, tools, and laws, others are falling behind.
Our 2025 AI Readiness Index looked at all 50 states to see who’s adopting AI, and who isn’t.
This report identifies the 10 least AI-ready states, plus:
- Where AI business use is declining
- Which states google “AI” the least
The 10 States Least Interested in AI (2025)
These states scored the lowest out of all 50 on the AI Readiness Index, based on:
- AI adoption and growth
- AI-related job demand
- Public curiosity (measured by Google search volume)
- Legislation supporting AI development
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1. South Dakota
Rank: 50
South Dakota ranks as the least interested state in AI. It has the lowest adoption rate (1.5%) and is the only state where AI usage declined by 1.8% since 2023.
South Dakotans also make just 64 AI-related searches per 1,000 people, reflecting limited public engagement with emerging tech.
2. Wyoming
Rank: 49
Wyoming comes in second-to-last. While it has a slightly higher adoption rate of 5.7%, AI-related search interest is among the nation’s lowest at 61.33 searches per 1,000 people.
With minimal digital hiring and a legislation score of just 1, Wyoming is slow to catch the AI wave.
3. Arkansas
Rank: 48
Despite some digital job growth, Arkansas has low adoption (4.6%), weak curiosity (65.61 searches per 1,000 people), and minimal legal progress around AI regulation.
4. Mississippi
Rank: 47
Mississippi ranks fourth from the bottom, with just 4.5% of businesses using AI and a search volume of 58.37 per 1,000 people, the second-lowest in the nation.
This suggests both the private and public sectors are hesitating to adopt AI.
5. Wisconsin
Rank: 46
Wisconsin makes the bottom five with an AI legislation score of 1 out of 4, low growth in adoption, and modest public engagement (77.42 searches per 1,000 people).
The state has yet to invest meaningfully in AI innovation or regulation.
6. West Virginia
Rank: 45
West Virginia has one of the lowest AI adoption rates (2.5%) and ranks dead last in AI search interest, with just 55.1 searches per 1,000 people.
With a legislation score of 3, the policy framework exists, but public and business engagement remain very limited.
7. Kentucky
Rank: 44
Kentucky ranks low in both interest and infrastructure.
While 5.3% of businesses have adopted AI, the state sees only 65.51 AI-related searches per 1,000 people, indicating slow consumer and workforce awareness.
8. Rhode Island
Rank: 43
Rhode Island is one of only two states where AI usage has declined since 2023, down 1.0%.
Despite a high number of digital job openings, residents appear less engaged, with just 110.71 searches per 1,000 people.
9. North Dakota
Rank: 42
North Dakota’s 3.1% AI adoption rate is among the lowest in the U.S.
Its overall readiness score is dragged down by low growth and interest (74.07 searches per 1,000 people), despite a strong employment base.
10. Kansas
Rank: 41
Kansas rounds out the bottom 10. The state shows slow AI adoption and growth, a legislation score of 1, and modest curiosity (82.74 searches per 1,000 people).
Without increased investment in digital infrastructure, it risks falling further behind.
If your state didn’t make the bottom 10, check out the full 50-state dataset.
3 States Where AI Use Is Declining
While AI adoption in the U.S. has grown to 78% of businesses in 2025 (up from just 55% in 2024), not all states are moving in the same direction.
In fact, these three states have fewer businesses using AI now than they did two years ago.
1. South Dakota
South Dakota’s AI usage declined by 1.8% since 2023, the sharpest drop in the country.
As of early 2025, just 1.5% of businesses report using AI on a biweekly basis, the lowest adoption rate nationwide.
2. New Hampshire
AI adoption in New Hampshire dropped 1.0% since 2023, down to a 3.0% usage rate in 2025.
Despite having a perfect AI legislation score (4/4) and decent digital job growth, the Granite State ranks just 27th overall.
3. Rhode Island
Rhode Island also saw AI adoption decline by 1.0%, landing at just 3.5% usage in 2025.
This small but meaningful drop made it rank 43rd out of 50 in the national readiness rankings.
States Least Curious About AI
Using the same index, we also highlighted the most and least AI-curious states based on Google search volume per capita for 15 AI-related terms (e.g., “ChatGPT,” “AI tools,” “machine learning”).
Measured by monthly AI-related Google searches per 1,000 people, these five states had the lowest interest in AI.
| Rank | State | Searches per 1,000 people |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia | 55.1 |
| 2 | Alaska | 61.53 |
| 3 | Wyoming | 61.33 |
| 4 | South Dakota | 64.55 |
| 5 | Mississippi | 58.37 |
Methodology
The 2025 AI Readiness Index by DesignRush ranks U.S. states based on:
| Metric | Weight | Source |
|---|---|---|
| AI Adoption Rate (Q1 2025) | 20% | U.S. Census BTOS |
| AI Adoption Growth (2023–2025) | 20% | U.S. Census BTOS |
| Digital Job Openings (%) | 10% | BLS JOLTS |
| Unemployment Rate (2025) | 10% | BLS Employment Report |
| AI Search Volume per Capita | 20% | Google Trends |
| AI Legislation Score (1–4) | 20% | BCLP AI Legislation Tracker |
Each metric was weighted and normalized to produce a readiness score out of 100 for each state.
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