Worldwide spending on artificial intelligence is projected to total $2.59 trillion in 2026, a 47% increase over 2025, according to industry survey data aligned with McKinsey's State of AI research. The surge in spending comes as enterprise AI deployment moves from pilot projects into production workloads at a rapid pace.

Seventy-two percent of enterprises now have at least one AI workload in production as of the first quarter of 2026, up from 55% in 2024 and just 20% in 2020. More broadly, 91% of businesses report using AI in at least one capacity this year. Among senior leaders at organizations already investing in AI, 35% expect to spend $10 million or more in 2026, and 86% of enterprises plan to increase their AI budgets this year.

Adoption varies sharply by industry. Technology companies lead at 88% adoption, followed by financial services at 79%, while education trails at 34%, according to McKinsey's research.

Despite the scale of investment, most organizations are struggling to convert spending into measurable financial results. Only 6% of companies have converted AI spending into enterprise-wide financial impact, and while 74% of organizations report some first-year return on investment, just 25% are hitting their originally expected ROI targets. McKinsey's analysis found that the gap separates companies that tie AI spending tightly to workflow redesign, governance and measured output from those that do not.

Source: McKinsey & Company -- https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/quantumblack/our-insights