29% of executives who have scaled AI deployment find that the hardest thing to understand isn't the model—it's the bill.

It's not just about being expensive; it's about being incomprehensible.

In KPMG's latest survey, roughly one-third of executives admitted that not understanding AI cost structures and economics has itself become an obstacle to deploying AI agents.

They signed contracts, implemented systems, received invoices, and then realized they had no idea how the charges were calculated. Nearly half of organizations have already adjusted their AI deployment pace because costs exceeded expected value.

So, the "AI replacing employees" narrative, when it hits the books, may look like this: payroll shrinks, bills arrive—and those bills are really "working hard" 🧾.