January 2026

If you've been in any boardroom discussion about AI over the past eighteen months, you've likely heard the same debate playing out repeatedly. Should we build our own models or buy off-the-shelf solutions? It's a question that's consumed countless strategy sessions, burned through consultant fees, and kept CTOs awake at night. Here's the thing, though. The market has already answered this question, and the answer might surprise you. In 2024, enterprises were split roughly 50/50 between building their own AI solutions and purchasing them from vendors. Fast forward to 2025, and that balance has shifted dramatically. Now, 76% of AI solutions are being purchased rather than built in-house. That's not a trend, that's a seismic shift in how businesses approach artificial intelligence. The Case for Building (Historical Context) To understand where we are, we need to understand where we've been. The appeal of