Exabeam has released new global research revealing a widening accountability gap as organizations pour unprecedented budget increases into cybersecurity driven largely by artificial intelligence. The study, From Adoption to Accountability: The New Economics of AI in Cybersecurity, surveyed 750 IT security decision-makers across 12 countries and paints a picture of an industry accelerating AI adoption while struggling to measure or justify its impact.
According to the report, 95% of organizations are increasing cybersecurity spending in 2026, with nearly three‑quarters reporting double-digit growth. AI is the largest catalyst for this surge, named both as the top driver of budget expansion (44%) and the first area that would be cut if financial pressure tightened highlighting its contradictory role. It is also seen as the hardest investment to justify to business leaders (32%).
Steve Wilson, Chief AI and Product Officer at Exabeam, described the tension bluntly:
“Security teams aren’t suffering from a lack of data they’re drowning in it. The problem is they’re measuring the wrong things and speaking a language their boards don’t understand.”
“Security leaders are being told to invest in AI, but no one’s telling them how to prove it works and the window to fix that is closing fast.”
— Steve Wilson, Chief AI & Product Officer, Exabeam
The report identifies a significant “value demonstration gap.” While 87% of leaders believe their investments are delivering business value, many struggle to prove it. Thirty percent cite a lack of board understanding as their biggest challenge, despite widespread use of ROI models and outcome metrics. Traditional benchmarks like mean time to resolution are becoming less relevant in AI‑assisted environments, says Exabeam CISO Kevin Kirkwood, who argues that organizations must shift toward metrics tied directly to risk reduction and resilience.
Regional differences are also pronounced. Saudi Arabia leads in AI adoption impact (75%), far ahead of Japan (27%) and the Netherlands (30%). The findings suggest that some regions are prioritizing rapid operational improvement, while others are taking a more cautious, workforce‑focused approach.
The report concludes with a warning: while the current budget boom is beneficial, it is not guaranteed. Without clearer measurement frameworks and executive-ready value narratives, organizations risk future budget cuts as economic conditions change.
