Global spending on artificial intelligence is projected to reach $2.59 trillion in 2026, marking a 47% increase year-on-year, according to a forecast by Gartner.
Analysts believe the market will continue to grow due to infrastructure, embedded AI models, and expanding corporate demand. They estimate that by 2027, the figure could reach $3.49 trillion.
The largest segment will remain AI infrastructure. Gartner expects spending in this category to reach $1.43 trillion in 2026. For comparison, the 2025 figure was estimated at $975.6 billion, primarily involving cloud hardware solutions, network equipment, and semiconductors.
Experts highlighted the role of major tech companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google, which have so far driven the majority of AI spending growth.
Gartner anticipates a significant increase in activity from corporate clients this year, describing this period as a turning point for AI adoption in business.
Analysts have revised their forecast for spending on AI models, expecting the segment to grow by 110% in 2026. This adjustment increased the spending estimate for the current year by approximately $6 billion.
The company attributed the revision to the rapid spread of models embedded in existing software and the growing number of AI agents in workflows.
According to Gartner’s forecast:
- spending on models will rise from $15.5 billion to $32.6 billion;
- expenditure on services will reach $585.5 billion;
- software spending will increase to $453.2 billion;
- the AI cybersecurity segment will double to $51.3 billion.
In May, Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark predicted the emergence of “self-developing AI” by 2028.