Where does federal AI spending stand in 2026? - Brookings Institution
PushButton AI Team ·
Where does federal AI spending stand in 2026? - Brookings Institution
The federal government just mapped exactly which AI problems are worth solving first.
Most business owners I talk to are sitting on a $200/month tool nobody opens. Not because the tool is bad. Becaus
The federal government just mapped exactly which AI problems are worth solving first.
Most business owners I talk to are sitting on a $200/month tool nobody opens. Not because the tool is bad. Because nobody matched the tool to an actual problem before buying it.
That's the real lesson buried in Brookings' federal AI spending data. Government agencies that got ROI from AI didn't start with the flashiest technology. They started with the clearest problem. Small, specific, measurable.
The pattern holds for private business too. The companies winning with AI right now picked one repetitive task, tested one tool against it, and measured the result inside 30 days. That's it. No system overhaul. No team retraining.
Here's your one action this week: Write down the three most repetitive tasks your team complains about. Pick the one with the most hours attached to it. That's where your first AI test belongs. Not a transformation. A test.
One problem. One tool. Thirty days. That's how you get your first real win without gambling the budget.
What's the one task in your business that eats the most time and adds the least value? Drop it below.
