- Global spending on AI is forecast to reach $1.48 trillion in 2025, up from just under US$1 trillion in 2024.
- Spending on AI-optimised servers, infrastructure, chips, PCs and GenAI models expected to grow sharply through 2026.
What happened: Gartner predicts global investment surge as AI
According to market-research firm Gartner, companies worldwide are set to spend nearly $1.48 trillion on artificial intelligence in 2025. That is a big jump from approximately $987.9 billion in 2024. By 2026, spending is forecast to exceed $2 trillion.
A large part of the growth comes from AI-optimised servers. These include both GPU and non-GPU accelerators. Investment here is expected to more than double within two years, rising to almost $330 billion by 2027/8. Other fast-growing areas include AI infrastructure software, AI-optimised infrastructure as a service (IaaS), AI chips, GenAI models, AI PCs (both ARM and x86), and AI applications.
Gartner also points out that much of this spending is new rather than replacing existing technology. The purchase of AI-optimised servers does not reduce purchases of traditional servers. It is extra investment. The trend is not limited to US firms. Chinese companies and newer cloud-service providers are increasing their AI infrastructure investment.
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Why it’s important
This level of spending shows AI is no longer optional. Organisations in many sectors will face increasing pressure to adopt AI. The report suggests that soon almost every phone, PC, tablet or laptop will include generative AI built in.
For technology vendors, this opens huge demand for hardware, software, cloud services. It means manufacturers of servers, chips and PCs must design for AI capabilities. Otherwise they risk being left behind.
For consumers, many AI features now come bundled in products instead of being optional extras. In some cases users may not even realise how much of the AI is working behind the scenes.
For governments and regulators, the sharp rise in AI spending brings new problems. Supply chains for chips and GPUs are already stretched. The use of more data centres adds to energy use. At the same time, questions over privacy and fairness remain. The size and pace of the investment make these issues harder to ignore.
