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And yes, costs matter. But (1) some of your tokens are basically R&D spending for yourself to figure out what these systems can do and (2) F…
Ethan Mollick discusses how token costs for AI systems shouldn't be viewed purely as expenses, arguing that some token usage represents research and development spending to understand AI capabilities,
Ethan Mollick discusses how token costs for AI systems shouldn't be viewed purely as expenses, arguing that some token usage represents research and development spending to understand AI capabilities, and that other factors beyond pure cost considerations are important. The post suggests a more nuanced economic framework for evaluating AI token expenditure beyond simple cost-benefit analysis.
Source: Ethan Mollick (X) | 2026-07-06