tech
This new research challenges nearly every big AI narrative of 2026
RBC's latest CIO survey finds no AI token panic, no SaaSpocalypse, and surging enterprise AI spending, led by OpenAI.
TL;DR
- Enterprise AI spending is showing strong momentum, with adoption moving from pilot to production.
- Nearly 90% of companies find AI token budgets manageable, and most plan to increase future spending.
- OpenAI is the dominant AI model provider, with 57% of respondents using ChatGPT most frequently, compared to 12% for Anthropic's Claude.
- The predicted 'SaaSpocalypse' has not materialized, as companies plan to increase spending on software, not cut it.
- Over half of surveyed companies have AI in production, with an additional 35% expecting to reach production within six months.
- Hybrid pricing models combining seat licenses and usage-based pricing are quickly becoming the preferred enterprise purchasing method for AI.
- 100% of survey respondents are allocating budget to AI and large language model projects, with 91% creating new AI budgets.