Amazon says it shut down a token leaderboard: 'Don't use AI just to use AI'

Amazon said it has shut down an employee-built internal leaderboard called “KiroRank” that tracked AI token usage after leaders concluded it encouraged token-maximizing behavior rather than productive work. The company emphasized it still measures token costs but discourages using AI “for the sake of using AI,” signaling a broader pivot among Big Tech to rein in ballooning AI spending that lacks clear ROI. The move, framed as operational discipline, may temper investor enthusiasm around unchecked AI adoption and underscores growing corporate focus on cost-efficiency and measurable outcomes from AI deployments.