# OpenAI says EU small-business AI agent use rose 8.1-fold since May

Digest AI · Marketing & Small Business · published 2026-10-14T11:49:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/openai-says-eu-small-business-ai-agent-use-rose-8-1-fold-since-may

## Summary

OpenAI reported on Wednesday that weekly active users of its AI agents **Codex** and **ChatGPT Work** among European small and medium businesses grew **8.1 times** their May level by October 5. The increase applied across all EU member states, though the company’s sample only includes businesses with **200 or fewer associated users**. These agents now account for more than half of output tokens in OpenAI’s EU **ChatGPT Enterprise** sample, with usage varying from **22%** in Slovenia to **85%** in Lithuania.

OpenAI also compared usage intensity, defining **frontier firms** as the top **10%** by output tokens per active user. In September, these EU firms generated **more than four times** as many output tokens per user as typical EU firms. Non-EU frontier firms produced **more than twice** the output per user of EU frontier firms, which made up **10%** of the global frontier sample. The company suggested wider access, worker skills, and deeper adoption could help narrow the gap.

## Key points

- OpenAI’s sample shows EU small-business AI agent use grew **8.1 times** from May to October 5
- EU frontier firms (top 10% by usage) produced **four times** more tokens per user than typical firms

## Why it matters

The data highlights how AI adoption varies by region and firm size, with frontier firms using agents far more intensively. For EU small businesses, this suggests untapped potential to boost productivity if access and training improve.

## Sources

1. [OpenAI says EU small business use of AI agents grew 8.1 times since May](https://cryptobriefing.com/openai-eu-small-business-ai-agents-growth) (cryptobriefing.com, 2026-10-14)

## Cite

Digest AI, "OpenAI says EU small-business AI agent use rose 8.1-fold since May", 14 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/openai-says-eu-small-business-ai-agent-use-rose-8-1-fold-since-may

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