Worldwide end-user spending on AI platforms and models is projected to hit $64 billion in 2026, a 63.4% surge from $39 billion in 2025, according to a major new forecast released today by Gartner. The headline figure is part of a broader spending surge: Gartner had earlier forecast total worldwide AI spending, including infrastructure, software, and services, to reach $2.52 trillion in 2026, a 44% year-over-year increase.
Within the models and platforms segment, spending on foundation generative AI models alone is expected to more than double, rising from $11.4 billion in 2025 to $23.4 billion in 2026. The 63% growth rate far outpaces the broader enterprise software market, reflecting an inflection point where organizations are moving beyond experimentation into production-scale AI deployment. The forecast arrives during Big Tech earnings week, with investors closely watching whether capital expenditure on AI infrastructure, from Microsoft's AMD Helios deal to Oracle's Stargate buildout, is translating into corresponding revenue growth in the platforms layer that sits between chips and end-user applications.