Companies tackle 'tokenomics' as 8x8, retailer reveal AI cost tactics

Silicon Valley software maker 8x8 and apparel ecommerce firm Baseball Lifestyle 101 have detailed how they manage the cost of generative AI usage—measured in tokens. In a report published by WIRED on June 16, 2026, the companies, both heavy users of Anthropic's Claude, illustrate how "tokenomics"—optimizing token usage and its associated cost—is emerging as a new management challenge.