Death by a Thousand Tokens: And How Smart Leaders Avoid It
Last Updated on September 9, 2025 by Editorial Team
Author(s): Ilyas Iyoob, PhD
Originally published on Towards AI.
What if I told you that you could cut your AI spend by 80%… and still get the same or even better results?
Over the past year and a half, working with executives across dozens of organizations, I’ve noticed the same set of patterns driving AI costs sky-high. The technology itself isn’t the problem… it’s how it is being used. Inefficiencies creep in quietly, repeating across industries and functions, until what started as innovation begins to feel like margin erosion.
The article discusses various inefficiencies in the use of AI across organizations, presenting a range of common problems encountered by companies as they adopt AI solutions. By detailing specific case studies, it highlights how these inefficiencies lead to increased costs and decreased performance, while offering straightforward fixes for each observed issue. The author emphasizes the importance of recognizing and addressing these patterns early to optimize AI investment and enhance operational efficiency.
Read the full blog for free on Medium.
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Note: Article content contains the views of the contributing authors and not Towards AI.
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