INSIGHT · US
Microsoft reports expose AI's real cost problem: often more expensive than human labor
Microsoft's quarterly disclosures reveal that AI system deployment costs (compute, training, inference, compliance) often exceed the salary burden of human employees they replace. ROI timelines extending beyond initial projections.
WHY IT MATTERS
Cost-per-transaction and cost-per-decision for AI models must cross breakeven threshold with human labor. Finance/risk teams should demand strict AI ROI accounting before greenlight.
Source: Fortune · 2026-05-22