Forrester predicts 2027 software budgets to rise as AI usage‑based pricing spreads

Forrester analysts report that more than four in five technology and business leaders anticipate larger software budgets over the next 12 months, with 82% of tech decision‑makers and 91% of marketers expecting increases in 2027. The shift toward consumption‑based AI pricing – such as usage‑based billing for GitHub Copilot and OpenAI Codex – is making budget forecasting harder and is expected to drive higher outlays.

The firm advises organisations to focus spending on trusted data, strong governance and enterprise knowledge rather than merely increasing AI spend. Key recommendations include building machine‑readable context for AI agents, improving brand visibility in AI‑generated answer engines, targeting data‑quality fixes, and experimenting with synthetic data and AI‑driven marketing operations. As Chief Research Officer Sharyn Leaver put it, "Business leaders are no longer planning for a return to stability – they’re planning for a future where volatility is a constant."