Global spending on information technology is forecast to reach $6.37 trillion (£4.7 trillion) in 2026, as organisations accelerate investment in artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure and next-generation data centres, according to new research from Gartner.
The analyst firm expects worldwide IT spending to grow by 14.2% next year, with AI infrastructure emerging as the primary driver of technology investment across both enterprise and cloud service providers.
For IT and cybersecurity leaders, the findings reinforce the growing importance of building resilient, scalable and secure digital infrastructure capable of supporting increasingly demanding AI workloads.
Gartner predicts data centre systems will be the fastest-growing technology segment, with spending expected to increase by 62.5% year-on-year. Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) is also forecast to see strong growth of 29.3%, reflecting continued enterprise migration to cloud platforms and investment in AI-ready computing environments.
Software spending is expected to rise by 15.5%, while IT services and communications will continue to grow at a steadier pace as organisations modernise existing technology estates.
According to Gartner, the rapid expansion is being fuelled by investment in AI-optimised servers, hyperscale cloud infrastructure and advanced software platforms capable of supporting generative AI, machine learning and intelligent business applications.
However, the research cautions that growing budgets do not necessarily translate into greater flexibility. Many organisations continue to face pressure from inflation, semiconductor supply constraints, rising hardware costs and competing priorities for AI investment.
John-David Lovelock, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner, said the scale of infrastructure investment reflects the unprecedented computing capacity required to support enterprise AI adoption.
“Data centre systems and Infrastructure as a Service are the fastest-growing segments because organisations are investing heavily in AI infrastructure, cloud platforms and intelligent applications,” he said. “Building the compute capacity required for AI is the largest infrastructure project ever attempted by humanity.”
For cybersecurity teams, the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure also presents new challenges around identity management, cloud security, data governance and operational resilience. As organisations deploy increasingly complex hybrid environments spanning on-premises infrastructure, hyperscale cloud platforms and AI services, securing these interconnected ecosystems will become an increasingly strategic priority.
The report suggests that while AI-related infrastructure will account for much of the growth in global technology spending, successful organisations will be those that balance innovation with strong governance, resilient architecture and robust cybersecurity controls as AI becomes embedded across enterprise operations.
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