According to the latest forecast by the authoritative research firm Gartner, global end-user spending on AI models and platforms is set to experience explosive growth. The market size in this area is expected to reach $64.052 billion by 2026, representing a significant increase of 63.4% compared to last year.
In terms of specific expenditures, investment in generative AI models is growing particularly rapidly, with an increase of as high as 117%. At the same time, corporate spending on AI platforms is also continuously expanding, expected to achieve a steady growth of 36.9%.
Market Shifts Toward Efficiency-First, Cost and Return Are Under Strict Scrutiny
As AI technology becomes widely implemented, companies are increasingly scrutinizing budgets for AI projects. The current market focus has fully shifted toward the efficiency of fund usage, cost control, and the ability to deliver measurable practical benefits.
Facing this change, funds are accelerating toward suppliers that can clearly demonstrate value. In particular, products that can provide evidence in controlling costs, reducing latency, improving performance, and ensuring reliability are more likely to stand out in competition.
Transparent Services Become an Advantage, Platform Suppliers Will Take the Lead
To adapt to this trend, many vendors are embedding evaluation mechanisms, cost transparency, and usage tracking directly into customer workflows. This approach allows companies to manage and optimize their AI resource usage more easily.
In the long term, suppliers that can comprehensively manage AI application scenarios for enterprises will be the biggest winners. Facing increasingly complex billing models, buyers are tending to choose comprehensive platforms that offer performance monitoring, strategy execution, and cost control.
