AI is the fastest-growing line on your software budget. Here's how to control it.

A 5-step framework for finance leaders buying AI

Key findings

As paid AI adoption crosses 50%, most usage is still informal: AI-related reimbursements tripled year over year.

AI is now 14% of the average software budget and growing. Unlike SaaS, AI pricing is usage-based, so costs can swing month to month without warning.

Companies with a structured purchasing process can cut vendor spend by 16% annually and eliminate 46 hours of purchasing work per month.

Summary

Most companies didn't plan to spend this much on AI. Employees adopted tools on their own, subscriptions multiplied, and finance was left sorting out the bill. AI is now a major, fast-growing line item, and it behaves differently from any software category finance teams have managed before.

This guide covers five steps to create a purchasing strategy that keeps AI costs under control and helps your team take advantage of a market that still favors buyers.