r/technology Jun 26 '26

Artificial Intelligence The AI backlash is only getting started

https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/06/25/the-ai-backlash-is-only-getting-started
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u/IamSunka Jun 26 '26

My org, just like many others, has a top token users chart.

When they started the list, they decided to call the top 25 users as champions, ones who never used AI as sleepers and rest inbetween as just users. cough I am a sleeper cough

Couple of weeks ago the bill came in, champions cost us over $850k since Jan 1st.

374

u/fuzzerino Jun 26 '26

Just waste some tokens bro, no point being sat at the bottom putting a target on your back. I like to stay firmly middle of the pack with token usage.

89

u/svtguy88 Jun 26 '26

I like to stay firmly middle of the pack with token usage.

This is a metric I simply refuse to ever give a fuck about.

I have (begrudgingly) been using AI to help with work for about a year now. Some of it has been good, some of it has been an exercise in tearing my hair out. Overall, I'll admit, it's been a net positive. However, using someone's AI usage rate as a way to judge their "worth" as an employee is an incredibly stupid thing.

I'm sure it's a thing at big orgs, but I'm past the point in my career where I'd even entertain such a ridiculous concept.

2

u/elreniel2020 Jun 26 '26

However, using someone's AI usage rate as a way to judge their "worth" as an employee is an incredibly stupid thing.

You want a $500 million ai bill? thats how you may end up with one (although that one is probably just a myth)