Ubers COO says its getting harder to justify the money spent on AI tokenmaxxing

Uber's COO Andrew Macdonald stated that the company is struggling to justify its AI spending, as increased token usage hasn't translated into proportionally more useful consumer features. After Uber's CTO revealed the company had exhausted its Claude Code budget for 2026, Macdonald acknowledged that unlike traditional investments, there's no clear link between higher AI consumption and tangible product improvements. The comments reflect a broader shift away from "tokenmaxxing" in tech, with some companies like Duolingo reconsidering AI-heavy metrics in performance evaluations.