Question 1

How are most organizations budgeting AI today?

Accepted Answer

Most organizations budget AI as ongoing software spend. In G2's AI pricing research, 74% classify AI as recurring Opex or subscription cost, compared with 5% who frame it as CapEx.

Question 2

Are buyers willing to pay more for AI features?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but the acceptable range is narrow. Sixty-six percent accept only a modest premium when value is justified, 14% pay more for clearly better AI, and 14% reject a premium.

Question 3

What kind of value justifies AI spend?

Accepted Answer

Efficiency opens the business case. Sixty-four percent cite efficiency and workflow gains as the leading justification, while 31% require hard ROI or another measurable impact.

Question 4

Why are governance and visibility important in AI buying?

Accepted Answer

Governance keeps recurring AI spend legible. Fifty-eight percent want visibility into usage and spend, 32% prefer vendors to manage backend costs, and 10% want direct internal control.

Question 5

Which pricing models best fit buyer expectations?

Accepted Answer

Usage-based or hybrid pricing best fits current buyer expectations. Seventy-three percent prefer consumption-linked structures, compared with 25% who prefer a bundled flat subscription.

Question 6

Does pricing preference differ between AI buyers and vendors?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A supplementary classification finds that 76% of buyers with a clear preference want usage-based or hybrid pricing, while 68% of vendors describe bundling AI into an enterprise tier.

Make Your Category the Next G2 Report.

Agentic Voice AI in 2026: ROI, Autonomy & Adoption Data

State of AEO 2026: AI Outpaces Measurement

What CFOs, CIOs and CTOs Weigh When Choosing an LLM

Make Your Category the Next G2 Report.

Keep Reading

Agentic Voice AI in 2026: ROI, Autonomy & Adoption Data

State of AEO 2026: AI Outpaces Measurement

What CFOs, CIOs and CTOs Weigh When Choosing an LLM