Only 28 cents of each new AI dollar is net-new IT budget

Enterprise AI spending appears mostly reallocated from software, services, headcount, BPO, and license consolidation rather than added as fresh budget

. @BenBajarin 's latest E/AI Index pulls out a number worth sitting with: only 28 cents of every incremental AI dollar is genuinely net-new IT budget. The other 72 cents is being reallocated out of software, services, headcount, BPO, and

Ranked #10 on backlist 2026-05-12 (12 May 2026 UTC) · by @caro_milanesi (Carolina Milanesi) · view on X ↗

How it ranks: Backlist reads my Twitter/X timeline, scores every tweet for substance with an LLM rubric (not engagement), and publishes the daily top picks with a one-line takeaway. Curated by Surya Dantuluri.