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China workers are spending AI tokens as corporate allowance
AI tokens, billed per prompt and response, are becoming an internal budget line for companies as model pricing intensifies after DeepSeek cut V4-Pro prices by 75.0% in May.
AI tokens are emerging as a new form of corporate allowance in China, according to the South China Morning Post, as staff are encouraged to weave AI into daily work and effectively manage their token usage like a measurable input for AI services.
The token, known as ciyuan in mainland China, is used as a basic unit for measuring and billing AI use, with each prompt submitted and each model response consuming tokens in a way the outlet compares to electricity usage.
The push is being reinforced by competition in China’s AI market, where a price war is driving models to get cheaper. The outlet points to DeepSeek, which cut the price of its flagship V4-Pro model by 75.0% in May, as an example of how the race to reduce costs is reshaping adoption inside companies.