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Microsoft Employees Begin Tracking AI Usage

Microsoft employees are now tracking their AI usage alongside salaries, bonuses and stock awards, revealing just how much computational spending can be generated by intensive use of AI tools.

An internal spreadsheet reviewed by Business Insider contains voluntary reports from nearly 600 US-based employees. Around 350 employees had also reported their AI usage for a 28-day period. The median reported AI usage was approximately $300, while the highest figure reached a staggering $28,000.

Importantly, these figures represent the estimated value of AI resources consumed through Microsoft’s systems, rather than money employees personally paid out of their pockets.

One Employee Used $28,000 Worth of AI

The most striking figure came from an employee in Microsoft’s Customer and Partner Solutions organisation, who reported approximately $28,000 in AI usage over 28 days.

The numbers varied dramatically across teams. Employees in Microsoft’s CoreAI organisation reported a median usage of about $975, while the figure was around $526 for Security and $490 for Microsoft AI.

Cloud and AI employees recorded a median of approximately $325, while Azure employees were at around $241.

The wide range illustrates how dramatically AI workloads can differ depending on the type of work employees perform and the intensity with which they use AI systems.

Why Microsoft Is Watching AI Consumption

The tracking comes as Microsoft continues to invest heavily in artificial intelligence and encourages employees to incorporate AI into their daily work.

AI models can generate significant computing costs, particularly when employees use advanced models repeatedly, process large amounts of information or run complex workloads. As AI becomes embedded across engineering, cloud, security and business operations, companies are increasingly interested in understanding the cost associated with individual and team usage.

Microsoft has reportedly been testing an internal tool designed to track this consumption. The company has indicated that the tool remains in an early testing phase.

High AI Usage Does Not Mean Higher Rewards

One of the more interesting findings is that employees using more AI did not appear to receive better compensation outcomes.

Business Insider’s analysis found no significant relationship between reported AI usage and factors such as promotions, merit increases or bonus ratings.

That suggests Microsoft is not simply rewarding employees based on how much AI they consume. Instead, the company appears to be trying to understand whether AI usage translates into meaningful productivity and business value.

This distinction could become increasingly important as businesses move from experimenting with AI to managing it as a major operating expense.

The Numbers Come With Limitations

The data should not be interpreted as an official company-wide measure of Microsoft’s AI spending. The spreadsheet is based on voluntary and self-reported information from a relatively small group of employees.

Microsoft had approximately 223,000 employees as of June 30, meaning the roughly 350 AI usage entries represent only a tiny fraction of its workforce.

The figures may also contain inaccuracies because employees themselves reported their usage.

AI Costs Are Becoming a Management Issue

The development highlights a broader shift in the technology industry. Companies are no longer asking only whether AI can improve productivity; they are increasingly asking how much that productivity costs.

For Microsoft, which is simultaneously building and selling AI infrastructure and tools, understanding internal consumption could help establish budgets, identify inefficient usage and determine whether expensive AI workloads are delivering measurable returns.

As AI becomes a standard workplace tool, tracking its cost could become as routine as monitoring cloud computing, software licences and other enterprise technology expenses.

Summary

Microsoft employees have voluntarily reported AI resource usage alongside compensation data, with a median consumption of around $300 over 28 days and one employee reaching $28,000. The figures reflect estimated AI resource costs rather than personal spending. Microsoft is testing tools to track usage, while analysis found no clear link between heavier AI consumption and promotions, raises or bonuses.