This new research challenges nearly every big AI narrative of 2026

New insights from RBC Capital Markets reveal a surprising shift in corporate attitudes towards artificial intelligence, challenging previously held beliefs about its adoption. Rishi Jaluria and his team at RBC regularly survey over 100 chief information officers and tech leaders to assess their IT spending, which totals billions of dollars annually. This latest survey indicates a robust growth in AI investments, with companies transitioning from pilot projects to full-scale production. Jaluria emphasized this momentum, stating, "We came away encouraged by broad-based enterprise spending momentum into the second half of 2026, with AI adoption beginning to transition from pilot to production." Contrary to concerns about escalating costs, the findings show that nearly 90% of respondents find their AI token budgets manageable. Interestingly, half of the surveyed companies have already surpassed their initial spending projections but still plan to increase their investment in AI technologies. A remarkable highlight from the report is OpenAI's dominance in the market; 57% of respondents indicated that ChatGPT is their primary AI service, significantly outpacing competitors like Anthropic’s Claude, which garnered just 12%. Furthermore, OpenAI is recognized as the leading provider of high-performance AI models by 44% of respondents, compared to 24% for Anthropic. The anticipated 'SaaSpocalypse'—a downturn in software spending—has not materialized, as no participants expect to reduce their software budgets. Instead, the majority foresee increased expenditure on both AI and software solutions, signaling a broader commitment to technology investments. The survey also indicates a pivotal moment for enterprise AI, with over half of the participants confirming that AI is already in production. An additional 35% anticipate reaching production status within the next six months. This rapid adoption is reflected in the growing preference for hybrid pricing models, which blend seat licenses with usage-based pricing—an impressive shift for a sector known for its slow technology integration. Perhaps the most compelling takeaway from the report is that 100% of respondents are now allocating budgets specifically for AI and large language model projects. Notably, 91% of these companies are establishing new AI budgets rather than reallocating existing funds, underscoring a significant acceleration in the AI investment cycle for corporate America.