A 2026 survey of 141 CIOs reveals that customer service management (26%), finance operations (21%), and project management (20%) are the software categories most prone to AI-driven vendor replacement, driven by AI’s ability to streamline coordination and workflow visibility. Meanwhile, 54% of CIOs are pursuing vendor consolidation, with 45% of AI budgets replacing existing software spend, signaling a shift where AI adoption often comes at the expense of traditional tools, although deeply integrated platforms like ERP and general productivity suites remain relatively protected due to high switching costs.
