Apple reportedly cuts daily AI budgets for engineering teams

Apple has reduced the daily amount its engineering teams can spend on artificial intelligence, according to a report by Bloomberg cited by TechCrunch. The move comes as the company has worked to integrate AI into its engineering processes.

In October, Apple lowered the teams’ daily spending cap from $300 to $200, Bloomberg reported. Sources told the outlet that some allowances are set to fall further, to $100 a day. Outside engineering, Apple is reportedly considering a daily limit as low as $25. TechCrunch said it had contacted Apple for comment.

The reported cuts follow a period earlier this year when companies encouraged employees to use AI tools heavily, a trend sometimes called “tokenmaxxing.” The article says that push was short-lived as token bills arrived and companies considered rationing usage. It also describes ongoing concern about the gap between the cost of building and running AI systems and the productivity gains they are expected to deliver, which it characterizes as often unclear.