Why do AI agents cost more than the workers they replace?
Human salaries are fixed and predictable. AI agents run on metered cloud compute, API calls, and token usage that scale unpredictably with demand. Add integration and maintenance costs that regularly exceed initial estimates by 30–50%, and the 'cheaper' AI hire often ends up costing more than the salary it replaced.
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Companies That Fired Workers for AI Are FailingGartner data shows 80% of AI-driven layoffs show zero ROI correlation. Why replacing workers with AI is backfiring on corporate balance sheets.
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