Gartner Forecasts Worldwide AI Spending to Grow 47% in 2026

Worldwide spending on AI is forecast to total $2.59 trillion in 2026, a 47% increase year-over-year, according to Gartner.

“Through the next several years, the need for capacity will make AI infrastructure, including AI-optimized IaaS, AI-optimized servers, AI network fabric, AI processing semiconductors and devices, the largest segment of the market, accounting for over 45% of spending, which will be driven by vendors,” said John-David Lovelock, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner. “Within this segment, spending on AI-optimized servers will triple over the next five years to become the largest subsegment, as cloud services providers expand capacity in anticipation of the workloads created by GenAI models and agentic workflows.”

Gartner predicts that enterprises will expand their use of both the GenAI models embedded in existing software applications and the new AI agents within multiple workflows. Model consumption is anticipated to increase through multistep processes and integration into broad suites of tools as enterprises recognize the potential value of agentic automation. This dynamic means that the short-term outlook for AI models has been increased to 110% growth in 2026, adding $6 billion in spending for this year.

“Up to this point, AI spending has primarily been driven by technology companies and hyperscalers,” said Lovelock. “Enterprises have yet to really flex their spending potential. That is coming and 2026 will be the inflection year. Currently, organizations show limited appetite for using AI to drive disruptive enterprise change. Instead, they favor tactical AI initiatives with incremental improvements in efficiency and productivity.

“For this reason, CIOs face challenges in proving the value from AI investments and demonstrate tangible business outcomes,” added Lovelock. “Aligning AI initiatives with strategic business objectives is the essential step for success. This incremental approach persists despite AI hype and valuations that reflect aspirations to transform the broader economy.”

Gartner clients can read more in, “Forecast: AI Spending, Worldwide, 2025-2030, 1Q26.”

Channel Impact^®
The $2.59 Trillion in AI spending has, thus far, been dominated by vendors and hyperscalers. Channel partners are well-positioned to help enterprises flex their spending potential.