Uber has instituted internal usage caps on AI coding tools to moderate rising costs. The company now places a monthly $1,500 cap per employee and per agentic coding tool, including Anthropic’s Claude Code or Cursor. Bloomberg first reported the new rule.
Internal Dashboard Tracks Usage With Exceptions Allowed
Employees can track their usage through an internal dashboard. In certain cases, the caps can be exceeded with permission, the company says. The move follows an April disclosure from Uber’s CTO that the ridesharing giant had blown through its entire annual AI budget in just four months.
That rapid spending occurred after Uber encouraged staff to use AI “as much as possible.” The company even ranked internal usage competitively on internal leader boards, The Information previously reported.
COO Questions Direct Productivity Impact
Uber’s COO, Andrew Macdonald, recently cast doubt on AI’s productivity impact. During a podcast appearance, Macdonald noted that “it’s very hard to draw a line” between AI usage and new consumer features. Uber’s cutback reflects a broader question facing the tech industry.
The ROI Question Hangs Over Enterprise AI Spending
As enterprises pour money into AI, the return on investment remains largely theoretical. Some companies are growing restless while they wait for AI ROI to materialize. Bloomberg’s report detailed Uber’s internal cap policy. The Information previously reported on Uber’s competitive AI usage leader boards. Uber’s website does not publicly disclose its full AI spending breakdown. TechCrunch has covered the broader trend of enterprises cutting AI costs. Anthropic’s Claude Code is one of the capped tools mentioned in the report.
Featured image credits: Stock Catalog via Flickr
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