Episode 42 James Barney - The AI Episode

James Barney discusses the complexities and nuances of applying FinOps principles to AI usage in the cloud, explores various models of AI consumption, such as SaaS and self-hosted solutions, and delves into the challenges of accurately tracking and managing AI costs. Insights are shared from James Barney's recently contributed paper on AI cost management, emphasizing the importance of understanding AI's impact on cloud expenditures and business value. The conversation also touches on the necessity of open dialogue within organizations and the potential for AI to enhance non-customer-facing processes. Practical advice is given on how to approach AI cost management conversations and the value of learning by doing.

Note - views expressed by James are his alone and not those of his employer.

03:59 Understanding AI Cost Structures

05:38 FinOps Strategies for AI Workloads

12:10 Balancing Innovation and Cost Control

18:08 Tracking and Reporting AI Costs

19:34 Understanding AI Workloads

21:39 Guardrails for AI Usage

22:45 The Role of Context in AI

25:16 Politeness in AI Interactions

28:03 Exploring AI Tokens

31:35 Challenges in AI Cost Management

35:41 Community Involvement in AI

• James Barney | LinkedIn
• Cost Estimation of AI Workloads
• How to Forecast AI Services Costs in Cloud
• How to Build a Generative AI Cost and Usage Tracker