Sam Altman during OpenAI’s enterprise event, where he revealed just how dramatically AI usage has grown. Altman disclosed that OpenAI’s largest internal user now consumes around 100 billion tokens per month, a figure that would have been unimaginable only a few years ago. He noted that this is no longer even the highest usage level in the world, illustrating the extraordinary pace at which AI adoption is expanding.
A key theme of the article is the explosive growth in AI consumption. Altman explained that what was once considered a record level of AI usage has become commonplace, with token consumption increasing by orders of magnitude. The rapid growth reflects how deeply AI tools are becoming integrated into business operations, software development, research, and everyday workflows. He suggested that usage could continue growing dramatically in the years ahead.
However, Altman also made a notable admission about the challenges accompanying this growth: cost has become a major concern for enterprise customers. According to him, one of the most common complaints OpenAI now receives is related to the expense of running AI at scale. Many organizations have embraced AI so quickly that their spending has exceeded expectations, forcing them to reconsider budgets and efficiency strategies. Altman acknowledged that concern about AI costs emerged surprisingly fast during 2026.
The article concludes that the AI industry is entering a new phase where enthusiasm about capabilities must be balanced with practical considerations such as cost management and return on investment. While AI usage continues to grow at an extraordinary rate, businesses are increasingly focused on making deployments sustainable and economically viable. Altman’s comments suggest that the future of AI will be shaped not only by technological breakthroughs but also by how effectively organizations manage the resources required to use these systems at scale.
