AI tokens could become the kilowatt-hour of the AI age
Tokens — the units AI companies use to measure and charge for model usage — are being adopted by economists as a metric for tracking how broadly AI is spreading through the economy, similar to how energy consumption tracks industrial activity.
Why this matters: This matters because the metric you use shapes what you see. If economists start treating tokens like kilowatt-hours, token consumption becomes a proxy for economic activity — and that gives AI companies enormous influence over how AI's role gets measured and reported. The companies setting the prices and defining the units would also be shaping the story. That is worth watching, especially as governments start using these numbers to make policy.
Who should care: General readers · AI governance · Policy
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