Leaders and boards ask more concretely what AI actually delivers in value

Accenture has tightened the rules on how its employees use advanced AI. Torbjørn Eik-Nes, chief executive of Accenture Norway, told the Norwegian tech outlet Digi that use beyond normal activity must be backed by a genuine business need.

His comment follows a report by the technology site 404 Media that the consulting giant has introduced a cap of 29 dollars per month, per employee, on use of the AI tool Claude. According to that report, some employees had been spending as much as 1,000 dollars a month on it.

The article is framed around what Eik-Nes sees as the key to success with AI: companies do best when they prioritise a selected few AI initiatives rather than spreading their effort broadly. The piece carries the headline "Tokenfesten er over" ("The token party is over"), pointing to an end to unconstrained spending on AI usage, which is typically billed by tokens. The English title says leaders and boards are asking more concretely what AI actually delivers in value.

Taken together, the story shows a large consultancy moving from open-ended access to AI tools towards cost limits and a requirement to justify heavy use. It is a sign that management attention is shifting from experimentation towards measurable business value. The material available here gives only the opening of the piece, so further detail on how Accenture will enforce the limit, or what the Norwegian arm's own figures look like, is not included.