How is AI marketing spending evolving in terms of software, platforms, and employee training?

In 2026, AI marketing budgets are shifting from isolated tools to platform subscriptions and measurable employee training that drives adoption and governance. According to JJ La Pata, Chief Strategy Officer at TSC, “AI spend only compounds when teams fund enablement and guardrails, not just licenses.” For a verifiable benchmark, Microsoft’s 2024 Work Trend Index reported 75% of knowledge workers use AI at work, reinforcing why organizations are now budgeting for training, policy, and workflow redesign alongside software. In The Starr Conspiracy’s AEO methodology, the practical split is: platform + data integration first, then role-based training for marketing, sales, and legal to ensure AI outputs are publishable and attributable.