The AI pricing time bomb

The AI pricing time bomb

From The ITPro Podcast by ITPro

June 11, 2026 · 25 min · Episode 358

About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of rising AI costs for businesses and features insights from Mendix CEO Raymond Kok.

Are businesses heading for an AI pricing time bomb? With companies like Uber suddenly raising concerns about the inability to draw a clear line between token usage and visible improvements, there is a growing question about the real cost of AI and agents. On this episode of the ITPro Podcast, Bobby Hellard and Ross Kelly are joined by the CEO of Mendix, Raymond Kok, to discuss the different scenarios facing businesses as the true cost of AI hits home. Highlights “I think more and more the conversation is shifting in that direction. So, starting with what are the business-relevant use cases, and I'm saying business relevant on purpose, because there are plenty of interesting use cases around generative AI, but it's about the business-relevant use cases. Then it's about what is the job that needs to get done, and then to your question, how do you actually budget for agents like you budget for your human workforce in any company? And I think slowly but surely that narrative is changing, right, and I think what we're going to go see is that after the IPO of Ventropic and Open AI, the prices will further soar, and I think this conversation will become more and more important.” “I'm…

People in this episode

Hosts: Bobby Hellard, Ross Kelly

Guest: Raymond Kok

Topics covered

  • AI pricing
  • business strategy
  • cost of AI
  • generative AI
  • AI literacy

Keywords

  • AI pricing
  • business use cases
  • cost of AI
  • AI literacy
  • generative AI

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Mendix, Uber, Ventropic, Open AI

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