Beware the Token Trap: How Saving on AI Inference Can Jeopardize ADLC and Security

Summary

The prolific use of tokens in Agentic AI can lead to significant, unexpected costs for organizations, and attempts to save on inference costs without considering risk can jeopardize security and accumulate technical debt. While upfront prices for flagship AI models are shrinking, the escalating token costs, which can amount to 90% of AI lifecycle costs, are creating a dilemma for CISOs who must balance cost savings with security risks.