Survey: Half of CIOs Struggle to Fund Over Budget AI Initiatives
Techstrong.ai, Monday, September 14th, 2026
Nearly half of enterprises report exceeding AI spending budgets, forcing cuts elsewhere.
A Futurum Group survey of 1,636 enterprise technology leaders found that 47% of organizations are over budget on AI spending, while only 32% remain on track.
When facing overruns, most seek additional funding or absorb costs by cutting external contractors, IT support, and application development rather than pausing AI initiatives.
Despite budget pressures, enterprises continue prioritizing AI investment, with only 17.2% of over-budget organizations reducing their AI projects, reflecting the strategic importance placed on artificial intelligence deployment.