AI tools are now being used in almost every workplace, and Apple is no different. But these tools come at a cost. Now, it appears that Apple is cutting back on how much it spends on AI usage of employees as a measure to control these costs. As part of this change, some Apple employees may soon get a daily limit of only $25 (roughly Rs 2,350) in AI tokens.
As per a report from Bloomberg, Apple has reduced the AI spending limits for some employees. The company is said to be tightening AI budgets despite expanding the use of AI across its engineering processes and internal operations.
Apple is reducing AI budgets
The report said that Apple lowered the daily AI spending allowance for some engineers from $300 to $200 last month. It is believed that some engineering teams may see a further drop to $100 a day.
Beyond engineering, the report added, Apple’s other teams already had a strict $100 cap. But this can now drop to as low as $25 for some employees. Though those who may need higher allowances can reportedly seek exemption from the company’s senior leadership.
The daily AI allowance covers token costs. A token is essentially a unit of measurement for AI models. The more tasks you do with an AI tool, the more tokens you consume. AI companies usually charge users on the basis of tokens consumed. Tasks such as writing and debugging software code can require large numbers of tokens.
For instance, Anthropic’s Claude Fable 5.1 and OpenAI’s GPT-6 Astra cost $10 per million input tokens and $50 per million output tokens.
Apple may want employees to use cheaper AI
Apple employees have access to services including Anthropic’s Claude, OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. Some teams are reportedly being directed to use cheaper models or AI systems that run locally on devices.
According to the report, Apple’s change has been met with mixed reactions. Some employees reportedly did not use their full $300 daily allowances and considered the previous limits unnecessarily generous. Others viewed the reductions as part of wider cost-cutting measures, adding to concerns about possible layoffs. Some Apple divisions have reportedly hired outside consultants to assess their efficiency and operations, fuelling anxiety about potential restructuring.
Apple’s overall expenditure has continued to increase. In fiscal year 2026, the company said research and development expenses rose 32 per cent because of higher infrastructure and AI costs. Company-wide operating expenses increased 22 per cent to $75.5 billion, equivalent to 16 per cent of total net sales.
The restrictions are part of a broader shift in the technology industry, where companies that initially encouraged widespread AI experimentation – with employees often tokenmaxxing – are now examining the associated costs.
Last month, Accenture reportedly limited most employees’ use of Anthropic’s Claude Enterprise to $29 per month. While some had access to Premium plans with $250 in weekly usage, those who needed a bigger cap had to provide a Work Breakdown Structure identifying the project or team that will fund the additional use.
Others have also made similar changes. Microsoft and Meta have also tightened internal AI allowances, while Tesla recently imposed a weekly employee limit of $200. Uber too has capped AI coding tools at $1,500 per employee per month.
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