The AI Daily Brief · Sunday, August 16, 2026
A second misconception identified by EY is that AI adoption is inexpensive. The reality is that AI carries a meaningful marginal cost with each use due to tokens, computing power, and electricity consumption. This transforms AI from a one-time investment into a recurring operating expense, with many companies already exceeding annual budgets and implementing usage caps.
“Unlike traditional enterprise software, AI carries a meaningful marginal cost every time it is used.”
“Every prompt consumes tokens, computing power, and electricity.”
“As AI becomes embedded across organizations, costs accumulate rapidly, transforming AI from a one-time technology investment into a recurring operating expense.”