Large Firms Look to Open-Weight AI Models as Costs Exceed Budgets

Paris, 13 November 2026 – Nearly three in five large organisations plan to expand their use of open-weight artificial intelligence models, the Capgemini Research Institute reported on 12 November. Its September 2026 survey of 500 senior executives also found that 59% said their organisations had spent significantly more on AI than expected or budgeted over the previous 12 months. Among those affected, spending exceeded expectations by 24% on average. The survey records purchasing intentions and reported costs, not completed switches or realised savings.

For Asian companies, the findings raise a procurement question: which tasks justify paying for the most capable models, and which can be handled at lower cost? An open-weight model makes its trained parameters available for use under its licence. That can give a business more choice over how to deploy it. But a lower price for processing text does not guarantee a lower total cost once the business accounts for hosting, testing and the people needed to check the output.