Corporate America questions AI spending as costs rise and returns remain unclear

Corporate leaders are increasingly questioning whether massive AI spending is delivering real business value, as costs rise and returns remain unclear. Microsoft canceled most of its Claude Code licenses partly due to costs, and Uber's COO noted AI expenses are becoming harder to justify, according to multiple reports. The coverage describes a "healthy swing" away from AI overuse, including the practice of "tokenmaxxing"—maximizing AI token consumption without clear returns.