IT spending to hit $6.31 trillion record, thanks to AI

Global spending on IT is expected to reach $6.31 trillion in 2026, according to the latest quarterly forecast from Gartner, marking a 13.5% increase from the previous year.

The forecast shows that growth is spread across all major segments, though not evenly. Much of the increase is tied to ongoing investment in AI, particularly in the infrastructure needed to support it, such as servers, data centers, and specialized hardware.

“This latest forecast underscores the accelerating momentum in AI infrastructure and advanced memory,” said John-David Lovelock, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner. “As AI workloads scale, data center investment is ramping rapidly, which in turn is driving increased demand for high‑performance compute. This dynamic is creating meaningful growth opportunities for companies delivering AI‑optimized processors, accelerators, and enabling technologies.”

Worldwide IT spending forecast (millions of U.S. dollars) (Source: Gartner)

AI infrastructure drives growth in data center spending

Spending on data center systems is set to grow the fastest, with an expected increase of 55.8% in 2026, bringing total spending in that category to nearly $788 billion. This growth is driven by demand for compute capacity, particularly high-performance processors and memory powering AI workloads.

IT services will remain the largest segment by overall spending, projected to reach about $1.87 trillion, as organizations rely on external providers for application and infrastructure implementation and managed services.

“Robust demand combined with supply constraints has resulted in record price increases for high-bandwidth memory. This surge positions the memory segment as a lucrative area for semiconductor manufacturers,” Lovelock continued. “These trends collectively make AI infrastructure the most attractive segment for capitalizing on the robust expansion in IT spending.”

Software spending is also expected to expand, reaching about $1.44 trillion, with growth of 15.1%. Companies continue to allocate budgets toward applications and platforms that support automation, analytics, and AI deployment.

Spending on devices and communication services is forecast to rise at a slower pace because it is less directly tied to AI-driven investment trends.

“Together, these dynamics highlight a widening divergence across IT markets, as AI infrastructure and GenAI software see substantial upward revisions while device growth reflects ongoing cost and pricing pressures,” said Lovelock.

Gartner’s outlook shows that AI-related capabilities will form IT spending decisions in the near term.