The Token Tollbooth: Innovation, Anxiety, and the Real Human Cost of Metered AI
The early summer of 2026 has brought a sudden, chilly reality check to the tech industry. For the past couple of years, organizations operated under the assumption that the artificial intelligence buffet would remain all-you-can-eat. Flat-rate corporate subscriptions meant that developers, data teams, and creatives could run massive automated sessions, experiment freely, and test workflows…