Forty-four percent of respondents report full real-time visibility into AI operating costs, 39 percent partial visibility and 17 percent none (base 77). Among the 60 respondents who also report at least one production agent, the matched picture is tighter: 30 report full visibility, 23 partial and seven none.
The unpaired headline compares 80 percent reporting at least one production agent (base 75) with 44 percent reporting full real-time cost visibility (base 77); that 36-point gap is descriptive because the two questions have different bases. The matched view, drawn from the 60 respondents who answered both questions, is the more useful one: it shows that half of agent operators select full visibility and half do not.
| Real-time cost visibility | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Full visibility | 34 | 44% |
| Partial visibility | 30 | 39% |
| No visibility | 13 | 17% |
What this does not prove: the question asks whether operators believe they have real-time visibility; it does not test a specific cost taxonomy, verify the answer against an audited ledger, or show which workflows are and are not included in that view.
Full data, bases, and methodology: AI Leaders AI Leverage Report, October 2026 and CFO AI Leverage Report, October 2026.
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