Global AI spend to reach $2.59 trillion in 2026

Dive Brief

Enterprises will represent a significant slice of spending this year as generative and agentic AI use accelerates, according to Gartner.

Published May 19, 2026

Dive Brief:

• Global spending on AI will rise by 47% year-over-year in 2026, totaling $2.59 trillion, a Gartner report released Tuesday found. Enterprises will more than double their spending on generative AI models and AI agents, adding $6 billion in spending in 2026.
• Vendor-driven AI infrastructure that supports AI work — including AI-optimized IaaS, AI-optimized servers, AI network fabric, AI processing semiconductors and devices — accounted for more than 45% of spending, the report said.
• Cloud service providers are expanding their capacity in anticipation of the workloads AI is creating, said John-David Lovelock, distinguished VP analyst at Gartner, in a statement. “Within this segment, spending on AI-optimized servers will triple over the next five years to become the largest subsegment,” he said.

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