One of the 'most controversial' AI practices is moving beyond Big Tech; Visa says ...
Tokenmaxxing is claimed to be one of the ‘most controversial’ practices in artificial intelligence. For those unaware, tokenmaxxing means showing off how many AI token you burn through is now moving beyond Silicon Valley. Payments giant Visa revealed to Business Insider that it is now consuming around 1.9 trillion tokens per month, which is double of its February tally, as it aggressively expands AI adoption across its workforce.Visa’s president of technology, Rajat Taneja, told BI that the company is not focused on raw token counts but on measurable results. “It’s about the volume of impact,” he said, noting that Visa has begun rewarding teams who use AI to get work done faster.
The company has also introduced internal AI awards, with one team reorganised for using Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet model to ship a new API in under six days. Winners can select the prizes ranging from internal points to items like coffee makers.
Visa’s software engineering division accounts for the heaviest token usageAs reported by Business Insider, the software engineering division of Visa accounts for the heaviest token usage, AI is spreading across other areas. Recently, the marketing team also used AI to create an interesting ad featuring skiers racing down sun‑baked streets in Italy’s Amalfi Coast.
Visa says 89% of its employees are active AI users, with 44% classified as “power users” — averaging at least 25 prompts per day for 15 days a month. Popular tools include Claude, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and Google’s Gemini.
Tokenmaxxing beyond techThe trillion‑token milestone is notable for a company outside Big Tech. Meta employees reportedly burned through 60 trillion tokens in a single month, while individual developers at AI startups have surpassed the one‑trillion mark. Visa’s embrace of tokenmaxxing signals that AI flex culture is spreading into industries far beyond Silicon Valley.
Visa’s adoption of tokenmaxxing reflects a broader corporate shift: AI usage is no longer just tracked, it’s celebrated and incentivized. As Taneja put it, “This shift is once‑in‑a‑lifetime — bigger than any technology in the past.”
The company has also introduced internal AI awards, with one team reorganised for using Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet model to ship a new API in under six days. Winners can select the prizes ranging from internal points to items like coffee makers.
Visa’s software engineering division accounts for the heaviest token usageAs reported by Business Insider, the software engineering division of Visa accounts for the heaviest token usage, AI is spreading across other areas. Recently, the marketing team also used AI to create an interesting ad featuring skiers racing down sun‑baked streets in Italy’s Amalfi Coast.
Visa says 89% of its employees are active AI users, with 44% classified as “power users” — averaging at least 25 prompts per day for 15 days a month. Popular tools include Claude, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and Google’s Gemini.
Tokenmaxxing beyond techThe trillion‑token milestone is notable for a company outside Big Tech. Meta employees reportedly burned through 60 trillion tokens in a single month, while individual developers at AI startups have surpassed the one‑trillion mark. Visa’s embrace of tokenmaxxing signals that AI flex culture is spreading into industries far beyond Silicon Valley.
Visa’s adoption of tokenmaxxing reflects a broader corporate shift: AI usage is no longer just tracked, it’s celebrated and incentivized. As Taneja put it, “This shift is once‑in‑a‑lifetime — bigger than any technology in the past.”
Next Story