Microsoft cracks down on employee AI use after one worker spent $28,000 in 28 days

Date:
Thu, 27 Aug 2026 17:45:00 +0000

Description:
Microsoft reportedly cracks down on unnecessary "tokenmaxxing" as some employees spend thousands per month on AI compute.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Some Microsoft workers were found spending $10,000 to $28,000 on AI tokens every month The median is a much lower $300, but that's based off a tiny percentage of workers Microsoft says AI usage should lead to meaningful outcomes Some Microsoft workers are racking up some pretty hefty AI compute bills, with one of the company's workers from the Customer and Partner Solutions business spending $28,000 in tokens over a single 28-day period.

The figures, reported by Gadget Review , came from internal spreadsheets, which are used by workers to voluntarily share compensation information like salaries, bonuses and stock awards. It's a spreadsheet which, in 2026, gained a new column for monthly AI usage, in which employees can track how much they spend in USD equivalent in terms of AI consumption. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: Microsoft workers are using thousands in AI compute every month Nearly 600 US workers reportedly contributed information to the spreadsheet, with around 350 of them sharing their AI usage figures. Importantly, the company employs more than 223,000 workers globally, participation was voluntary, and figures were self-reported, so the data shared by Gadget Review is not representative of all workers.

The median reported usage was also around $300 per employee per month, so the $28,000 figure is either an extreme or a mistake. You may like 'Tokenmaxxing is not what we are optimizing for': Microsoft tells engineer to calm down on AI usage US Army forced to reinstate limits on AI token usage after troops blew through allowances AI use in China increases 1000-fold with usage exceeding 140 trillion tokens a day

The data also shows how usage varies by Microsoft department, with the likes of CoreAI ($975) spending the highest median figure. Security ($526), Microsoft AI ($490), Cloud and AI ($325), Experiences and Devices ($250), Azure ($241) and Customer and Partner Solutions ($134) each have lower medians.

Similarly, those groups also saw large variations, with some workers spending up to $16,000 within CoreAI, $15,000 for Cloud and AI, and $10,000 for Security. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

While the data doesn't provide an accurate overview, the company is said to
be monitoring token consumption value more closely to track individuals who use large amounts of tokens. This comes after years of encouragement to incentivize workers to use AI.

The knock-on effect of that has been a trend dubbed 'tokenmaxxing', where users deliberately consume large amounts of tokens to become visible on tracking dashboards. It's a trend seen across the industry, including at Amazon .

"Tokenmaxxing is not what we are optimizing for," CoreAI EVP Jay Parikh previously said in an internal memo. "I want all of us focused on maximising outcomes that move the needle for our customers and our business." Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/microsoft-cracks-down-on-employee-ai-use-after-o ne-worker-spent-usd28-000-in-28-days


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