Business and tech insights firm Gartner projects that total AI spending across the globe is set to shatter the $2 trillion mark this year.
In a new press release, Gartner says AI investments will surge to $2.52 trillion in 2026, representing a 44% jump from the $1.757 trillion spent in 2025.
Leading the investment charge are hyperscalers and data center builders, with Gartner predicting a $1.366 trillion spend in AI infrastructure this year. According to the firm, the figure marks a $401 billion jump from the $964 billion spent on AI infrastructure last year.
Building out and updating the tools and systems supporting frontier models comes at a distant second, with an estimated $588.64 billion in spending this year. AI software comes in at number three at $452.45 billion, and cybersecurity ranks fourth at $51.34 billion.
Gartner also predicts that AI spend across all categories will continue to rise meteorically until 2027.
Despite the staggering rise in investments, John-David Lovelock, VP analyst at Gartner, says AI is in the “trough of disillusionment,” meaning that firms are now more cautious about adopting tools and demanding proof, now that the hype cycle has faded.
“AI adoption is fundamentally shaped by the readiness of both human capital and organizational processes, not merely by financial investment. Organizations with greater experiential maturity and self-awareness are increasingly prioritizing proven outcomes over speculative potential. Because AI is in the Trough of Disillusionment throughout 2026, it will most often be sold to enterprises by their incumbent software provider rather than bought as part of a new moonshot project. The improved predictability of ROI must occur before AI can truly be scaled up by the enterprise.”
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