Episode #4
Rich Gibbons Discusses the Real Cost of AI, Copilot Credits and Microsoft Licensing
How much is AI actually going to cost your organisation? As Microsoft moves further towards usage-based billing, answering that question is becoming increasingly difficult. Copilot credits, consumption charges, different agent harnesses and costs associated with building, testing and running AI all mean organisations need to think differently about how they budget for Microsoft technology. In this episode of Mastering Mondays, Matt and David welcome back Rich Gibbons, the first returning guest to the podcast, to make sense of the changing commercial landscape around Microsoft Copilot and AI. The conversation explores how Copilot credits work, where unexpected costs can appear and why having a Microsoft 365 Copilot licence does not necessarily mean every Copilot experience is covered. Rich also explains why the shift towards consumption-based AI creates new challenges for finance, IT and development teams trying to predict and control spend. More importantly, the discussion looks beyond the cost itself. If an AI agent costs £100,000 but creates £1 million of value, is it expensive? How do you build a business case when AI usage can be unpredictable? When should you use an agent, and when could a traditional automation achieve the same result at a lower cost? Join Matt, David and Rich for a practical look at the real cost of AI, why organisations need to start designing with cost in mind, and what you can do now to avoid an unexpected AI bill.
