Levelpath, the premier AI procurement platform, today released findings from its 2026 Are You Ready to Buy AI? procurement benchmark survey. The report, which surveyed 300 procurement and supply chain leaders at organizations actively purchasing AI software, found that AI buying is slower and more expensive than most organizations anticipated, and many are struggling to keep up. Businesses across every industry are pushing to integrate AI into their processes, yet AI software is unlike any enterprise purchase that came before it.
AI purchases take 16-20 weeks vs 7-10 weeks for standard enterprise software.
58% of buyers involve 7+ people for AI purchases (vs 43% for standard software).
57% have faced spend-related issues with AI vendors.
Only 16% are very confident in controlling AI costs.
35% say AI bills higher than budgeted; 27% hit usage caps.
58% cite security reviews as top cause of delay.
More than half of respondents (57%) have already faced a spend-related issue with an AI vendor, and only 16% say they are very or extremely confident in their ability to control AI costs. The problems businesses are facing are concrete: 35% say AI bills have been higher than budgeted, 27% say users have had to stop work because they've hit usage caps, 26% have pulled budget from elsewhere to cover higher AI costs, and 9% have terminated an AI vendor due to price increases. Despite these challenges, fewer than one in five (16%) have pushed for cost caps.
For standard software purchases of $10K or more, the most common purchase timeframe is 7-10 weeks (21% of respondents). For AI, the most common purchase cycle is 16–20 weeks (25% of respondents). AI purchases pull more people into the decision: for standard software, 43% of buyers involve seven or more people; for AI, that climbs to 58%, and 28% involve 11 or more. Security reviews (58%), vendor evaluations (57%), and contract negotiations (52%) are top causes of delay.
Only 15% say they would never allow an AI agent to complete a purchase. Approximately 40% are already open to some level of AI autonomy today: 20% would allow AI to execute transactions under $10,000, 14% under $1,000, and 6% for any purchase within pre-approved budget parameters.
Stan Garber, Co-Founder and President at Levelpath, stated: "The data reflects a procurement system that wasn't necessarily designed for the speed and complexity of AI buying, and organizations that don't adapt will lack control. The organizations that will be most successful in this transition will move faster, negotiate better, and build vendor relationships that actually support long-term AI strategy."
About Levelpath
Levelpath is the AI procurement platform that delivers serious impact. Powered by its proprietary reasoning engine, Levelpath automates administrative work and provides unprecedented clarity at every step from intake and sourcing to contracting and payment. Global brands, including Ace Hardware, Amgen, Coupang, Fortrea, GATX, SSM Health, Toray Industries, and Western Union, trust Levelpath.
