Gartner sees securing AI market hit USD $4.8bn in 2027

Gartner expects the market for securing AI to reach almost USD $4.8 billion in 2027, up 68.7% from 2026. Spending in the category is projected to rise further to nearly USD $7.7 billion in 2028.

The segment covers software and platforms designed to help organisations use AI safely and comply with regulation. Gartner distinguishes this from the broader AI security market: in its definition, securing AI refers to tools that protect AI models, applications and internal use, rather than cybersecurity products that use AI and machine learning to detect or respond to threats.

Shailendra Upadhyay, Senior Principal Analyst at Gartner, said the growth reflects concern over weaknesses in AI systems and the software supply chains around them.

"This surge is driven by the urgent need for enterprises to secure AI systems, address emerging vulnerabilities and strengthen defences against sophisticated cyberthreats," Upadhyay said.

"This is compounded by growing vulnerabilities and supply chain attacks involving third-party and open-source software in AI projects. Without adequate security and visibility controls, enterprise AI initiatives face a high risk of failure."

Organisations are under pressure to identify, monitor and protect AI models from threats that differ from those in conventional software environments. Gartner expects more than half of successful cyberattacks on AI agents by 2029 to exploit access-control weaknesses and prompt injections.

The outlook suggests a market moving beyond generic cybersecurity tools toward products built for AI-specific risks. Companies will need to combine existing security systems with dedicated AI security products to better protect AI deployments, Gartner said.

"Traditional security tools often treat AI applications like any other software and need significant updates to address AI-specific threats," Upadhyay said.

"Specialised solutions, such as AI usage control and application security, will see rapid growth as solutions that address these challenges."

Market segments

Gartner split the securing AI market into four main segments: AI application security, AI usage control, AI governance platforms and AI gateways. It also included a fifth category, labelled other securing AI.

AI application security is expected to remain the largest spending category in 2027 at almost USD $851 million, followed by AI usage control at USD $749 million.

Growth across the segments is expected to remain strong. AI usage control is forecast to post the fastest annual increase at 73%, while AI gateway is projected to grow 70.9%.

Gartner expects AI governance platforms to reach USD $462 million in 2027, up from USD $275 million in 2026. AI gateway spending is forecast to rise to USD $429 million from USD $251 million over the same period.

AI application security is projected to increase from USD $508 million in 2026 to USD $851 million in 2027. The broader other securing AI category is expected to grow from USD $1.368 billion to USD $2.292 billion, taking the total market from USD $2.835 billion to USD $4.783 billion.

Upadhyay said adoption would be helped as some AI-focused defensive products become more established within organisations.

"As defenses like AI runtime protection and dedicated gateways become more reliable, organisations will gain confidence in these tools, accelerating adoption," Upadhyay said.

"At the same time, as businesses expand their AI initiatives, the need for specialised AI security solutions will further grow, especially as autonomous AI introduces new vulnerabilities beyond the reach of traditional monitoring."

Competitive pressure

Competition is likely to vary by segment, Gartner said. In AI governance platforms and AI gateways, larger established vendors are expected to hold their positions by adding AI-related functions or integrating specialist products into existing governance, data and API management systems.

By contrast, AI application security and AI usage control are attracting newer entrants, with startups moving into both segments as buyers seek products tailored to newer AI risks.

That could create a more crowded market and lead to dealmaking as larger cybersecurity firms seek to broaden their product sets.

"As the market grows, we can expect increased consolidation and acquisitions, with larger cybersecurity companies buying these startups to broaden their offerings," Upadhyay said.

"Overall, the fast-paced growth in this space is fueling intense competition among vendors as they vie for market share."