Microsoft employees are using AI tools at scale and that is costing the tech giant thousands of dollars, with one employee reportedly recording $28,000 worth of AI usage in just 28 days, as per internal spreadsheet reviewed by Business Insider. The data offers a rare look at how much AI is being consumed across Microsoft’s workforce as the company encourages employees to use AI in their daily work.
The spreadsheet reportedly contained nearly 600 entries from US employees, although only around 350 had reported their AI usage. The median usage was about $300 over 28 days, but the numbers varied sharply across teams.
The highest median AI usage was reported among Microsoft’s CoreAI employees, at around $975 over 28 days. Security employees had a median of approximately $526, followed by Microsoft AI at $490.
Cloud + AI employees recorded a median of $325, while Experiences and Devices and Azure reported median usage of $250 and $241, respectively. Customer and Partner Solutions had the lowest median at $134, although the organisation also included the highest individual figure of $28,000 that is over Rs 26.81 lakh.
| Organisation | Median AI usage | Reported range |
|---|
| CoreAI | $975 | $40–$16,000 |
| Security | $526 | $58–$10,000 |
| Microsoft AI | $490 | $45–$10,000 |
| Cloud + AI | $325 | $1–$15,000 |
| Experiences and Devices | $250 | $1–$3,391 |
| Azure | $241 | $1–$7,500 |
| Customer and Partner Solutions | $134 | $1–$28,000 |
Also read: Some people have already tried Apple iPhone Ultra: Here is what they liked about the foldable
However, these figures do not necessarily represent money employees personally paid. The new spreadsheet column tracks the estimated dollar value of AI resources consumed using an internal Microsoft tool.
A Microsoft spokesperson said the tracking tool is still an early testing phase. The company is trying to understand how employees are using AI as it invests heavily in models, computing infrastructure and AI powered products. The data also showed no meaningful connection between higher AI usage and better raises, bonuses or promotions.
It should be noted that we have not seen any official sheet or any other measure to confirm that these AI spendings are accurate. So, all the readers are advised to take the updates with a pinch of salt.