Uber Imposes $1,500 Monthly AI Coding Tool Spending Cap After Blowing 2026 Budget in Four Months
By
Simon Willison
Crispy enough to crunch, soft enough to enjoy. A good bake.
Summary
Uber has implemented a $1,500 monthly token spending cap per AI coding tool for all employees, following reports that the company blew through its entire 2026 AI budget in just four months. The cap applies to tools like Claude Code, reflecting the unexpectedly high costs of token-burning coding agents that became popular after the budget was set in 2025.
Key quotes
· 2 pulledThe rideshare giant is limiting all employees to $1,500 in monthly token spending per AI coding tool, an Uber spokesperson said in response to a Bloomberg News inquiry.
That means spending on one tool doesn't have...
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