𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐭𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐩𝐬𝐞𝐝, 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐟. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐀𝐈 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐠𝐨 𝐮𝐩, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧. 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐲. 😳
AI used to be a flat monthly fee. Now you meter it like electricity, and most owners have no idea how to read that meter.
Today on the 𝐒𝐌𝐁 𝐀𝐈 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭, Kree and Varun sit down in studio with 𝐉𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐤, Senior Digital Specialist at Microsoft and National Copilot Lead for small and medium business in Canada. Trained as a scientist, he thinks in hypotheses and experiments, and he helps businesses move from playing with AI to running on it.
The numbers that frame it: 📊
📊 Token prices have fallen around 𝟖𝟖% since 2023, with another 𝟗𝟎% drop forecast by 2030
📊 Yet KPMG found 𝟗𝟓% of organisations have an AI strategy and only 𝟖% report an established return
📊 Prices fell about 𝟐𝟖𝟎𝐱 over two years while total AI spend rose about 𝟑𝟐𝟎%, driven by agents firing many calls per task
📊 Done right, Forrester puts small business Copilot ROI at 𝟏𝟑𝟐 𝐭𝐨 𝟑𝟓𝟑%, and McKinsey's leaders returned about $𝟑 per $1 by focusing narrowly
Jermaine's throughline: intelligence got cheap by the unit and expensive by the habit. Cheaper tokens don't automatically mean a smaller bill, because everyone uses vastly more of them. Budget AI in two buckets: the predictable per person seat, and the variable meter for anything agentic, which you watch like a power bill.
What this means for you: start with one clear job, not ten. Measure what it costs and what it saves, like a small experiment. Then scale only what pays back. Cheap tokens reward the disciplined, not the busy. 🎙️
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Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as direct financial or business advice. Always consult with a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation. This is an Independent commentary. Third-party excerpts are credited on screen or in the show notes. Some voices in this program are AI-generated.