{"version":1,"type":"story","url":"https://digestai.news/story/survey-finds-only-11-of-400-businesses-could-forecast-ai-spending","json":"https://digestai.news/story/survey-finds-only-11-of-400-businesses-could-forecast-ai-spending.json","markdown":"https://digestai.news/story/survey-finds-only-11-of-400-businesses-could-forecast-ai-spending.md","slug":"survey-finds-only-11-of-400-businesses-could-forecast-ai-spending","headline":"Survey finds only 11% of ~400 businesses could forecast AI spending","summary":"A Wall Street Journal‑cited survey of roughly 400 companies shows that just 11% said they could forecast how much they would spend on artificial‑intelligence tools. The same report references a separate study that compared the cost efficiency of lower‑priced versus higher‑priced AI models across more than 6,800 tasks. The study found that on 32% of those tasks, cheaper models actually incurred higher costs than premium alternatives, highlighting the unpredictable nature of token consumption.\n\nThe findings suggest that many firms still lack reliable budgeting methods for AI, and that price alone may not guarantee lower total spend. Analysts note that token‑based pricing can vary widely depending on the specific workload, making it hard for businesses to predict expenses in advance. The survey and study together underscore the need for better cost‑management tools and clearer pricing models as AI adoption expands.","keyPoints":["Only 11% of about 400 surveyed businesses said they could forecast AI spending.","A study of 6,800+ tasks found lower‑priced models cost more on 32% of tasks.","Token usage varies per task, making AI costs hard to predict."],"whyItMatters":"Understanding AI cost volatility helps companies budget more accurately and signals that cheaper models may not always deliver savings, influencing procurement strategies.","category":{"slug":"business","name":"Business & Funding","url":"https://digestai.news/category/business"},"entities":{"companies":[],"models":[],"people":[]},"firstPublishedAt":"2026-10-05T12:40:01Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-05T12:40:01Z","sourceCount":1,"hasPrimarySource":false,"sources":[{"outlet":"wsj.com","title":"Survey: only 11% of ~400 businesses could forecast AI spending; a study finds lower-priced models cost more than higher-priced models on 32% of 6,800+ tasks","url":"https://wsj.com/tech/personal-tech/ai-token-spending-businesses-431ee94a?st=1trc2u&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink","publishedAt":"2026-10-05T12:40:01Z","type":"press","primary":false,"lead":true}],"sourceNotes":null,"discussions":[],"thread":null,"cite":{"text":"Digest AI, \"Survey finds only 11% of ~400 businesses could forecast AI spending\", 5 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/survey-finds-only-11-of-400-businesses-could-forecast-ai-spending","publisher":"Digest AI","title":"Survey finds only 11% of ~400 businesses could forecast AI spending","datePublished":"2026-10-05T12:40:01Z","url":"https://digestai.news/story/survey-finds-only-11-of-400-businesses-could-forecast-ai-spending"},"generatedBy":"Written by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources; the sources are the record.","license":"Headlines, digests and key points are written by Digest AI and may be quoted with a link to the story page. Linked articles belong to their publishers. Terms: https://digestai.news/terms#reuse"}