Uber Imposes $1,500 Monthly AI Spending Cap After Budget Exhaustion
UBER•Uber imposed a $1,500 monthly cap per employee per AI coding tool after it exhausted its entire 2026 AI budget in four months. The company launched an internal dashboard to monitor usage and enabled exceptions through approvals to rein in escalating AI costs.
1. AI Budget Exhausted in Four Months
Uber encouraged extensive AI usage company-wide, leading to the full consumption of its planned 2026 AI coding budget by April. The unanticipated overspend prompted senior leadership to reassess its approach to generative AI experimentation and resource allocation.
2. Monthly Spending Cap Introduced
To curb runaway costs, Uber implemented a strict $1,500 monthly spending limit per employee per agentic coding tool, covering platforms such as Anthropic’s Claude Code and Cursor. Usage is tracked via a new internal dashboard, and employees can request one-off approvals to exceed the cap when necessary.
3. Managing AI ROI Concerns
Executive management, including COO Andrew Macdonald, has expressed uncertainty about the direct link between increased AI token consumption and tangible consumer features. The new controls aim to balance experimentation with fiscal discipline, ensuring AI investments align with measurable business outcomes.
