Costs

what it will cost to develop, run and release your ai solution

This card covers what it costs to build, run, and release your AI tool. Beyond the upfront build, there are ongoing costs for models, hosting, and the people who maintain it. Seeing the full picture keeps you from launching something the newsroom cannot afford to keep.

Questions to explore

// use these as prompts in a workshop or on your own. There are no right answers.

What does this cost to build, and what does it cost every month after that?
Which costs grow as more people use the tool or as data grows?
How much staff time, not just money, does building and running this take?
What is the cost of not building it, or of doing the work by hand?
What would you cut first if the budget turned out to be half of what you hoped?

Expert voices

// notes from the journalists and AI experts who helped shape this kit

“Are we using free tools or paid ones, and can we afford the paid tools in the long term?”

Zenzele Ndebele, Centre for Innovation and Technology (CITE)

“Evaluate whether AI investments are actually viable and sustainable for your outlet given resource constraints and context-specific priorities.”

Michelle Nogales, Muy Waso

“Will adopting AI for this use actually save you money or time, or is it an additional cost?”

Carl Javier, Data and AI Ethicist

Things to consider

Running costs often outweigh the one-time cost of building.
Count staff time as a real cost, not a free resource.
Know the ongoing price before you commit to keeping the tool.

using this card

Pull Costs when it is relevant and set it aside when it is not. Pair it with the other AI Solutions cards, lay them out on a table, and use the questions above to get everyone on the same page. Capture what you discuss on sticky notes or in a shared doc.