Survey: only 11% of 396 businesses could forecast AI spending; Microsoft finds lower-priced models cost more than higher-priced ones on 32% of 6,800+ tasks (Wall Street Journal)

A recent survey revealed that only 11% of 396 businesses could accurately forecast their AI spending. This unpredictability is further highlighted by a study indicating that lower-priced AI models surprisingly cost more than higher-priced ones on 32% of over 6,800 tasks. The core issue stems from the unpredictable use of "tokens" by AI models for any given task, making cost estimation challenging for businesses adopting AI technologies.

This report uniquely combines two new studies, one showing only 11% of businesses can forecast AI spending, and another finding lower-priced models cost more in 32% of tasks.