CFOs Lack Cost Data to Evaluate Agentic AI Budgets

The Common Question

What should CFOs ask before approving an agentic AI project budget?

The Lesson in This Case

Agentic AI projects are reaching CFOs' desks without clear cost structures, and most finance leaders are approving budgets before anyone has defined what a successful return looks like. The real driver of runaway spend is the shift from single-task models to multi-step autonomous agents, which multiply compute costs and introduce compounding risk at every decision node. Before signing the next infrastructure commitment, demand a unit economics breakdown – cost per task completed, not cost per seat or token.

Originally reported by CFO Dive. Read the full story here.