Satya Nadella Wants Microsoft to Stop AI Overuse

Satya Nadella Is Trying to Rein In Microsoft's AI 'Tokenmaxxers'

The Microsoft CEO admits he’s a “tokenmaxxer” himself, but says employees should be more intentional about how they use AI.

Jun 11, 2026

by David Adubiina

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is urging employees to be more deliberate about how they use artificial intelligence, warning that not every task requires the company's most advanced models.

In a live taping of The New York Times' Hard Fork podcast, Nadella was asked how much "tokenmaxxing" is happening inside Microsoft, a term used to describe maximizing AI usage and token consumption.

"A lot," he replied. "I'm a tokenmaxxer too, it's addictive."

Still, he suggested that the excitement around AI should not overshadow practical considerations.

"But you have to step back when the novelty wears off to say, 'What is it that I'm trying to create?'" he said.

Nadella argued that employees should focus on using the right AI tool for the right task rather than defaulting to the most powerful models available.