Artificial intelligence is reshaping how organizations choose, consolidate, and replace software. Businesses are rethinking their tech stacks to keep pace with automation trends and competitive pressures. To explore these shifts, we surveyed 272 U.S.-based IT decision-makers, operations leads, department heads, and business owners. The findings reveal where companies are investing in AI-driven tools, which platforms are being phased out, and how decision-makers are navigating tradeoffs in adoption.

Key Takeaways
    • Over half of businesses (55%) are consolidating tools as part of their AI adoption strategy.
    • 30% of businesses have replaced tools in the past year with AI-powered alternatives, while 53% are considering doing so.
    • Nearly 1 in 4 businesses (23%) admit they've rushed a software decision just to stay ahead of a competitor's AI push.
    • Two-thirds of businesses (67%) say that their AI-integrated tools save time and improve efficiency.

Balancing Software Cuts With AI-Driven Gains

Infographic showing businesses consolidating and replacing software tools with AI alternatives.

  • 55% are consolidating tools as part of their AI adoption strategy.
  • Over 2 in 5 businesses (44%) feel pressure to cut or replace working software just because AI tools now exist that can perform the same tasks.
  • 30% of businesses have replaced tools in the past year with AI-powered alternatives, while 53% are considering doing so.
  • Nearly 4 in 5 businesses (78%) say they replaced tools that were still functioning well in favor of AI-powered alternatives.
  • Business rated their AI-integrated tools as effective for:
    • Improving time savings and efficiency (67%)
    • Increasing ease of use (55%)
    • Supporting employee satisfaction (54%)
    • Driving ROI (48%)

Balancing AI Enthusiasm and Resistance Across Teams

Infographic showing software budgets for AI and common barriers to adopting AI tools.

  • Nearly 1 in 4 businesses (23%) admit they've rushed a software decision just to stay ahead of a competitor's AI push.
  • When asked if they've regretted choosing an AI-enabled tool over a legacy software alternative, 19% of businesses said yes, 47% said no, and 34% said it's too early to tell.
  • Nearly 2 in 5 businesses (39%) say they've made no major tradeoffs when choosing AI-enabled tools.

Tradeoffs Businesses Have Made When Choosing AI-Enabled Tools

  • Sacrificed vendor maturity/reputation (28%)
  • Sacrificed customer support (24%)
  • Paid more than the previous solution (22%)
  • Sacrificed user experience (19%)

AI Adoption Support and Resistance by Team

  • C-suite: 43% advocate for AI adoption, while 10% resist it.
  • Finance team: 27% advocate for adoption, and 46% are neutral toward AI.
  • IT team: 46% advocate for AI adoption, and 17% resist it.
  • Legal team: 15% advocate for AI adoption, 45% remain neutral, while 31% resist AI adoption.

Methodology

For this study, we surveyed 272 IT decision-makers, operations leads, department heads, and business owners across the United States to understand how generative AI is influencing software procurement and platform strategy. Respondents were asked about how AI is impacting their software audits, purchasing behaviors, and tool prioritization for 2025.

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