Key stat: 58% of CFOs worldwide cite increasing AI technology investments as a top growth strategy, putting AI ahead of expanding product offerings (53%), hiring (47%), and new-market expansion (46%), according to a January survey from Coupa.

Beyond the chart:

• The CFO consensus mirrors what's happening at the top of the market. Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft are collectively planning between $595 billion and $625 billion in capital expenditures in 2026, much of it tied to AI infrastructure.
• The bet extends well beyond Big Tech. JPMorgan Chase plans to spend $19.8 billion on technology in 2026, up 10% YoY, with CEO Jamie Dimon framing AI as a "core strategic priority" rather than a speculative bubble.

Use this chart: Drop this in your AI budget proposal to back up requested funding. Show your CFO and finance team that 58% of CFOs worldwide already rank AI investment as their top growth strategy, making it the dominant capital priority above product expansion, hiring, market entry, R&D, and M&A.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• The AI Governance Gap (EMARKETER subscription required)
• Infopack: Customer Experience 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)

Methodology: Data is from the March 2026 Coupa report titled "The Strategic CFO Report: Global Insights into the AI Inflection Point & How To Stay Competitive." 600 CFOs and senior finance leaders in the US, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Japan, and Australia were surveyed online between December 2025-January 2026 by Wakefield Research on behalf of Coupa.

We prepared this article with the assistance of generative AI tools and stand behind its accuracy, quality, and originality.