870: Managing the New Spend Frontier: AI Tokens in Procurement W/ Jon Winsett

"You need to get visibility into the AI tokens, what workloads they are being used for, which users are using them, and what department they're coming out of. Most organizations don't have that visibility yet. They just get the bill." - Jon Winsett, CEO, NPI

AI tokens have gone from a niche curiosity to a major line item practically overnight. 

The cost models are new, spending is climbing at breakneck speed, and most enterprises can't actually see what's driving their biggest AI bills. For anyone tasked with managing technology spend, this is mission-critical territory for the rest of 2026 and beyond.

In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Jon Winsett, CEO of NPI, to unpack everything procurement leaders need to know about AI tokens. Jon and his team advise some of the world's largest companies on navigating this new category and share what's working (and what's not). From budgeting pitfalls to guarding against runaway costs, Jon explains the challenges and opportunities associated with AI tokens.

Jon tackles questions like: Where are organizations overspending? How do you negotiate when the rules keep changing? What practical steps can CPOs take right now? 

Listen in for a pragmatic, insider's view on:

-How and where rapidly rising AI token costs are hitting enterprise budgets  

-Ways to build practical guardrails and learn from early missteps  

-How to use open source models and contract negotiation as real levers  

-Why current consumption-based pricing is likely to change again soon  

Links:

Jon Winsett | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-winsett-0734b/ 

Enterprise AI Pulse Study: https://arcana-research.com/study/npi - For Fortune 1000 enterprises that want to participate

Governing AI Token Spend - A Five-Layer Defense Framework: https://www.npifinancial.com/knowledge-center/white-paper-governing-ai-token-spend/ - Whitepaper

Learn more about NPI: https://www.npifinancial.com/ 

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