AI budget season: 87% are raising it, 61% can't justify it
87% of finance leaders are raising their AI budget for FY2027, 45% of them by more than 20%, even though 61% already spend more on AI than they can justify. Most can't see where it goes: 54% can't break AI spend below a rough category, so budgets default to the total and keep climbing. The teams that allocate spend, tying each AI dollar to the team, product, or outcome behind it, are the ones who can defend the number to a board.