Enterprise AI adoption is accelerating rapidly, with a new RBC Capital Markets survey revealing that 90% of IT professionals plan to increase AI spending in 2026, signaling a decisive shift from pilot projects to production-scale deployments. The survey, which polled 117 CIOs and technology leaders at companies ranging from small businesses to enterprises with over $25 billion in annual revenue, provides compelling evidence that AI investment is moving beyond hype into concrete budget commitments.
The data shows 60% of organizations are already running AI initiatives in production, a dramatic increase from just 39% the previous year. An additional 32% expect to reach production status within six months, indicating that the majority of enterprises will have operational AI systems by mid-2026. This represents a critical inflection point for the AI industry, as businesses transition from experimentation to scaled implementation.
Dedicated AI budgets are becoming the norm, with 90% of technology leaders reporting their organizations are creating specific budget allocations for generative AI and large language model (LLM) projects, up from 85% in the prior year. This suggests AI spending is additive rather than substitutive, expanding overall IT budgets rather than cannibalizing existing technology investments. RBC analysts noted they are “increasingly optimistic of macro/budget stabilization taking shape in 2026 and encouraged by the pace of early GenAI adoption.”
AI has emerged as the top priority for increased software spending in 2026, surpassing traditional categories like cybersecurity and IT service management. In open-ended survey responses, executives repeatedly identified AI as their largest investment area, frequently paired with infrastructure upgrades and automation initiatives.
The strategic approach to AI is also maturing. Seventy-six percent of CIOs reported their AI strategies now target both cost savings and revenue generation, demonstrating AI’s evolution from experimental technology to competitive necessity. This dual focus indicates organizations are moving beyond simple efficiency gains to explore AI’s potential for driving top-line growth.
While concerns persist—particularly around data privacy—these worries are no longer impeding adoption. Instead, AI is becoming the primary driver expanding IT budgets as companies race to maintain competitive advantage in an increasingly AI-enabled business landscape.
Key Quotes
Overall, we came away increasingly optimistic of macro/budget stabilization taking shape in 2026 and encouraged by the pace of early GenAI adoption
RBC Capital Markets analysts summarized their findings from the CIO survey, indicating growing confidence that enterprise AI spending will stabilize and accelerate in 2026, validating the massive investments being made across the AI ecosystem.
90% of technology leaders said their organizations are creating new budgets specifically for generative AI and LLM projects, up from 85% the year before
This finding demonstrates that AI spending is becoming institutionalized within enterprise budgets rather than being funded through reallocation from other technology categories, suggesting sustained growth in AI investment.
Our Take
This survey data should quiet skeptics who have questioned whether AI investment would materialize beyond infrastructure spending by hyperscalers. The jump from 39% to 60% production deployment in a single year is remarkable and suggests we’re witnessing genuine enterprise transformation rather than experimental dabbling. What’s particularly significant is the shift toward dual objectives—cost savings and revenue generation—which indicates organizations are moving beyond defensive automation plays into offensive strategic positioning. The creation of dedicated AI budgets by 90% of organizations is perhaps the most bullish signal, as it suggests AI spending won’t be subject to the usual budget trade-offs that constrain other technology categories. For AI companies, this validates the massive valuations and provides visibility into sustained demand. The data also suggests 2026 could be the year AI moves from boardroom buzzword to operational reality across the enterprise landscape.
Why This Matters
This survey data represents a watershed moment for the AI industry, providing concrete evidence that enterprise AI adoption is transitioning from proof-of-concept to production at scale. For months, investors and analysts have questioned whether AI hype would translate into actual spending—this research suggests that inflection point has arrived. The fact that 90% of organizations are creating dedicated AI budgets indicates this technology is being treated as a strategic imperative rather than an experimental line item.
The implications extend across the entire AI ecosystem. Cloud infrastructure providers, AI model developers, and enterprise software companies can expect sustained demand growth as businesses move from pilot projects to full-scale deployments. The shift toward dual objectives—cost savings and revenue generation—suggests AI use cases are expanding beyond back-office automation into customer-facing and revenue-driving applications.
For workers and business leaders, this acceleration signals that AI literacy and integration will become competitive differentiators in 2026 and beyond. Organizations that delay adoption risk falling behind competitors who are already operationalizing AI capabilities. The survey’s findings validate the massive infrastructure investments being made by hyperscalers and suggest the AI spending cycle has substantial runway ahead.
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-finally-paying-ai-cio-survey-2025-12