AI To Drive Global IT Spending to $7.35T In 2027

Global IT spending is projected to reach $7.35 trillion in 2027, a 15% increase from 2026, as investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure and software drives technology budgets higher.

According to Gartner, the figure will mark the first time worldwide IT spending exceeds $7 trillion. The research firm expects AI infrastructure and software to account for the next $1 trillion in spending growth, although rising memory costs could put additional pressure on hardware markets.

Beyond the spending forecast, Gartner’s latest predictions point to growing scrutiny of how organisations deploy and manage AI, with chief information officers likely to face greater responsibility for demonstrating its business value.

By 2028, 60% of Global 500 companies will have embedded AI FinOps controls where AI models run and generate outputs, Gartner predicts. These controls are intended to help organisations monitor and manage the costs associated with AI operations.

By 2029, 60% of organisations deploying AI will establish dedicated functions to measure the technology’s total cost against the value or profit it generates. This could bring closer coordination between technology and finance teams as businesses seek clearer returns from AI investments.

Gartner also expects CIOs to take on a formal role in AI accountability. By 2030, it predicts that 80% of Global 500 companies will make CIOs contractually responsible for retaining evidence of AI system activity and decisions. The firm describes this role as that of an “evidence custodian”.

The research firm further predicts that insurers, rather than regulators, will become the main drivers of AI governance by 2030. It also expects 80% of organisations operating public-facing AI services to experience cost exhaustion attacks, in which malicious activity drives up the operating costs of AI systems.

Other predictions point to changes in software development and autonomous technology. Gartner expects 80% of new applications to be designed for use periods of less than a year by 2029. By 2030, more than 10 billion autonomous agents could place additional pressure on public services.

The projections follow Gartner’s earlier forecasts of strong growth in AI-related expenditure. The firm estimated that global AI spending would increase by 49.5% in 2026, while spending on AI-optimised infrastructure-as-a-service would grow by 96%.

These figures remain forecasts rather than confirmed outcomes. However, they point to a shift in the demands placed on technology leaders. As AI investment grows, CIOs will increasingly be expected to account not only for the technology organisations acquire, but also for its costs, performance and business impact.