# Amazon urges developers to measure AI by results, not usage

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/amazon-tells-tokenmaxxing-devs-to-slow-their-ai-roll/
- Published: 2026-10-28T16:49:14+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-28T17:17:59+00:00
- Original publisher: The Register
- Original article: https://www.theregister.com/ai-and-ml/2026/10/28/amazon-tells-tokenmaxxing-devs-to-slow-their-ai-roll/5306090
- Topics: AI, Americas, Business, Companies, Football, Software, Sport, Technology, World

## Key points

- Amazon says useful outcomes matter more than AI token use.
- Token metrics can raise costs and encourage complex code.
- Engineers should use judgement about where AI helps.

## Summary

Amazon has told its software engineers to focus on useful software and customer and business results, rather than maximising AI token use. The shift reflects concerns that token-based productivity measures can encourage higher costs and overly complex code, while failing to show whether AI is helping deliver meaningful outcomes.

A memo from Amazon vice-president Terk Terkowitz describes a “Renaissance Developer” who combines AI tools with human judgement and expertise. Amazon says teams should assess how AI improves delivery, and that recognising where current tools do not help is a valid finding. The guidance echoes comments from AWS chief executive Matt Garman and a similar message from Microsoft executive Jay Parikh.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.