AI budgets shielded as enterprises chase orchestration

Zapier research suggests large organisations now treat artificial intelligence spend as core infrastructure, as leaders shift from pilot projects towards orchestration across business systems.

The survey of 200 CIOs, CTOs and IT directors across the US, Canada and Europe found that 74% of respondents would keep AI budgets among the last to be cut during an economic downturn. The same research indicates that leaders expect operational models to change quickly as AI tools move deeper into day-to-day processes.

Zapier said 25% of enterprise leaders expect to reach "full-scale orchestration" this year. The report defines that stage as AI linking tools, teams and processes. A further 43% of respondents anticipate reaching the "agentic AI" stage. The report describes that stage as autonomous systems working across functions with minimal human input.

Charles Crawford, Senior Product Marketer at Zapier, said organisations now face a balance between progress and control.

"The productivity gains from AI are real. 92% of workers feel them. But so is the cleanup work," said Charles Crawford, Senior Product Marketer, Zapier. "The companies seeing the best results aren't the ones avoiding AI. They're the ones who have invested in training, context, and orchestration tools that turn AI from a series of ad-hoc experiments into a managed process."

Budget priorities

The findings point to a renewed focus on governance and reliability as spending rises. Zapier said 69% of enterprises plan to invest USD $1 million or more in AI over the next year. It said the majority plan to spend over USD $5 million.

Leaders also set strict requirements for performance in high-stakes use cases. The report found that 83% of respondents demand that AI error rates stay at 5% or below for high-stakes operations. The research links this standard to conditions for trust in automation, particularly where workflows affect security, finance, or employee outcomes.

At the same time, 70% of leaders now view AI governance as a strategic differentiator rather than a compliance burden, according to the report. That stance aligns with a shift from experimentation to more formal operating models, where teams define data policies, approvals and accountability.

Workforce impact

While public debate on AI often centres on job losses, Zapier's survey suggests most enterprise IT leaders expect organisational reshaping through redeployment and new hiring. The research found that 71% of leaders say AI will reshape teams through redeployment or new hiring. It found that 21% anticipate headcount reductions.

The report also points to the growth of specialist roles tied to automation and platform management. Zapier said 65% of leaders plan to hire AI Automation Specialists. It said 64% plan to hire AI Platform Engineers. The report frames these roles as part of the operational infrastructure needed to run AI systems at scale.

The survey also signals a change in how organisations assess employee performance and progression. Zapier said 46% of leaders plan to link promotions and pay directly to an employee's ability to operate responsibly within AI-driven systems. That suggests a growing expectation of AI fluency outside technical teams, particularly in functions that oversee data handling, workflow approvals and operational risk.

Human oversight

Despite interest in greater autonomy, the research indicates that many leaders want explicit checks on decision-making. Zapier said 71% of leaders identified "human-in-the-loop" approvals as their top governance priority for 2026. The report positions that approach as a way to control risk as AI systems handle more of the routine work that previously sat with teams.

Leaders showed more confidence in AI managing internal, rules-driven workflows such as security and identity management. The report said 40% expressed confidence in those areas. It also noted continued reluctance to automate sensitive HR actions or strategic budget decisions, which remain areas where human judgement and organisational accountability carry greater weight.

Charlie Hills, Co-Founder of Linked Agency, said ownership and accountability remain key issues when organisations expand automation.

"I'm seeing companies wrestle with ownership and accountability," said Charlie Hills, Co-Founder, Linked Agency. "Teams need clear standards for data handling, approval flows, and how AI contributes to IP. The organizations that nail this move faster and build trust faster."

Proving returns

The survey suggests that senior leaders now expect clearer measurement of returns than during earlier rounds of AI adoption. Zapier said 84% of respondents are confident they will have solid proof of AI ROI by 2026.

Executives also indicated which measures they will prioritise when deciding whether to expand investment. Zapier said leaders focus first on measurable productivity improvements, cited by 54% of respondents. It said 22% prioritise verified financial savings.

Zapier said NewtonX conducted the research with 200 verified B2B respondents in senior technical leadership roles at director level and above. It said more than 60% of participating companies had 5,000 or more employees.

The report's findings suggest large organisations now place AI investment alongside other operational systems, with governance and workforce redesign becoming central to adoption decisions.