AI Software Spending Hits $453B in 2026, Up 60% YoY — Biggest Single-Year Jump in B2B Software History

Constellation Research·medium signal

AI software spending is growing to $453 billion in 2026, up 60% year-over-year, marking the biggest single-year jump in B2B software spending ever recorded. Combined with the emergence of Agentic Enterprise License Agreements (AELAs) becoming the norm, and 80% of customers reporting that usage-based pricing provides better value alignment, the spending surge is reshaping how enterprise software contracts are structured — from fixed seats to dynamic agent-consumption models.