{
  "id": 180469,
  "title": "Microsoft tells engineers to curb their token-burning enthusiasm",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/microsoft-tells-engineers-to-curb-their-token-burning-enthusiasm",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-05T15:10:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Register Science",
    "slug": "the-register-science",
    "url": "https://www.theregister.com/ai-and-ml/2026/08/05/microsoft-tells-engineers-to-curb-their-token-burning-enthusiasm/5283482"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Microsoft is reportedly cautioning its engineers against using excessive AI tokens, a practice known as \"tokenmaxxing,\" due to concerns over costs. In an internal email, Executive Vice President Jay Parikh emphasized that the focus should be on maximizing customer and business outcomes, rather than simply increasing token usage. The company, known for its significant investments in AI, is aiming to optimize its utilization of AI resources. Tokenmaxxing is criticized because it can inflate performance metrics without necessarily improving true productivity. Microsoft seeks to provide value for its token expenditure and is not seeking a reduction in overall token usage. The company's push for cost-effective AI use aligns it with other businesses reevaluating AI consumption. Microsoft's internal message to engineers underscores the need for mindful AI consumption, reflecting the company's commitment to efficiency in AI deployment.",
  "summary": "Redmond wants results from Copilot, not impressive-looking consumption figures",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Register",
        "title": "Microsoft tells engineers to curb their token-burning enthusiasm",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/microsoft-tells-engineers-to-curb-their-token-burning-enthusiasm-183406",
        "published": "2026-08-05T15:10:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}