Gartner warns AI cost volatility is now a material margin risk for companies. Rising token use and shifting vendor prices make AI spending hard to forecast. Unmonitored AI use or unrestricted licenses can add millions in costs. Pressure to adopt AI without governance increases the exposure. 83% of CFOs report fewer than half of AI initiatives show measurable gains. KPMG finds 29% of firms struggle to control AI operating costs. Gartner says token consumption is set by architectural choices in system design. It recommends CFOs treat AI costs as an architecture issue. It advises monitoring token use by person, team, unit and application. It suggests routing requests to cheaper models when possible. It also urges transparent vendor pricing and contract scrutiny.

• 83% of CFOs see < half of AI initiatives delivering measurable gains
• 29% struggle to understand and control AI operating costs
• 50%+ use cost reviews or dashboards in AI approvals