AI Spending Among Enterprise IT Budgets Soars
News related to:West Monroe · 2 min read
CHICAGO, Nov. 5, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- The survey, conducted among 300 U.S. executives in Q3 2026, shows that the percentage of buyers allocating more than 10% of their IT budget to AI has surged from 23% in 2025 to 74% in 2026. This dramatic increase underscores the growing importance of AI in enterprise technology investment.
As AI continues to reshape traditional IT and software models, CIOs are faced with critical decisions regarding how much to spend, where to invest their budgets, and whether to build AI solutions in-house or purchase them from software vendors. The survey, which included both buyers and sellers, highlights the growing gap between these two perspectives.
One notable finding is that software sellers significantly overestimate the extent to which buyers build AI solutions. According to the report, 42% of buyers say they primarily buy AI solutions rather than build them, while only 22% of sellers believe their customers primarily buy. This discrepancy suggests that sellers may be underestimating the demand for AI solutions that enterprises are willing to build themselves.
Another significant divergence between buyers and sellers concerns the allocation of AI investment priorities. Both groups identify employee productivity and AI assistants as a near-term priority, with 60% of buyers and 65% of sellers selecting these options. However, the groups differ in their emphasis. Buyers prioritize foundational capabilities such as infrastructure, model consumption, platforms, and talent, while sellers place greater emphasis on AI agents.
The survey also sheds light on the evolving pricing models for AI solutions. Buyers prefer more predictable pricing models, such as enterprise subscriptions (33%) and usage-based pricing (24%). In contrast, 36% of sellers believe that hybrid pricing models, including outcome-based pricing, are what buyers prefer. This mismatch in expectations could lead to misaligned product roadmaps and commercial strategies.
Dhaval Moogimane, a Senior Partner and Software Industry Lead at West Monroe, emphasized the importance of aligning product roadmaps and commercial models with customer preferences.
West Monroe, an AI-native global consulting firm, works with software companies on AI and product strategy, software engineering and modernization, pricing and growth, and cybersecurity. Across industries, it helps organizations set AI investment priorities, decide what to build or buy, develop and deploy AI solutions, measure returns, and redesign workflows and operating models to become AI-native.
The report, available at www.westmonroe.com/insights/enterprise-software-ai-spend, is a valuable resource for software companies navigating the evolving landscape of AI investment and adoption.