Glossary
Cost per task
What is cost per task?
Cost per task is the full cost of getting one task done correctly with AI: the model usage across every attempt, plus the time people spend reviewing the output and fixing its mistakes.
Why it matters
Price per token hides what matters. A cheaper model that makes more mistakes can cost more per task once people fix its errors, and a pricier model can be cheaper overall.
Example
A model that costs a tenth as much per ticket but misroutes one more ticket in a hundred can end up costing about the same once fixing those tickets is counted.
Learn more
Guide · DecideHow to choose an AI model by cost per taskMeasure cost per task, not price per token, and find where a cheaper model does the same job.Guide · DecideBuild vs. buy AI agents: when to build, buy or foregoBuild, buy or forego: the criteria, the full cost of each path, and a worked example.Guide · ProveHow to measure AI impact and ROI: cycle time, quality and cost per taskTake a baseline, track five measures per workflow, and show the board what AI changed.