RBC Survey Finds 100% of Firms Budget for AI as 57% Favor ChatGPT
Updated
Updated · Business Insider · Jun 26
RBC Survey Finds 100% of Firms Budget for AI as 57% Favor ChatGPT
1 articles · Updated · Business Insider · Jun 26
Summary
More than 100 CIOs and tech leaders in RBC Capital Markets' latest survey said every respondent now allocates budget to AI and large language model projects, with 91% creating entirely new AI budgets.
More than half said AI is already in production and another 35% expect to reach production within six months, signaling a shift from pilot programs to broader enterprise deployment in the second half of 2026.
Nearly 9 in 10 respondents said token costs are manageable even though almost half have already exceeded original spending plans, and most expect to increase token spending further.
OpenAI led enterprise usage and perceived performance: 57% said ChatGPT is the model-based service they use most versus 12% for Anthropic's Claude, while 44% ranked OpenAI highest-performing against 24% for Anthropic.
Software budgets also remained resilient, with no respondent expecting to cut software spending, suggesting AI investment is being added on top of existing IT outlays rather than funded by broad SaaS reductions.
What are the hidden organizational costs that determine if a company’s massive AI investment will actually pay off?
As companies pour billions into new AI budgets, why do 88% of their advanced AI projects still fail before launch?
Is the real AI race about software, or is it a hidden battle for control over global energy and infrastructure?
RBC 2026 CIO Survey: AI Spending Soars as Enterprises Shift from Pilots to Production and Face New ROI Challenges
Overview
The 2026 RBC Capital Markets CIO Survey reveals a dramatic surge in enterprise AI investment, with companies dedicating more resources and shifting their strategic priorities to integrate AI across operations. This unprecedented spending marks AI’s transition from an emerging technology to a core part of business strategy. As a result, organizations are rapidly moving from pilot projects to full-scale production deployments, adopting AI at a pace much faster than previous technologies. This shift reflects growing confidence in AI’s value and signals that AI is now a foundational operational component for enterprises.