Agent fatigue sets in as token economics catch up to the hype

Builders are openly questioning the cost of AI agents, with some celebrating the end of what one called the 'agent slop cycle' as the bills for token-heavy workflows come due.

A current of skepticism toward AI agents is running through builder circles, and it's increasingly about money rather than capability. The most pointed expression came from @DeFimorphosis, who cited daily token spend running into the tens of thousands and added a sardonic "thank you so much for ending the ai agent slop cycle" — a sign that for some practitioners, the romance of autonomous agents has collided with the arithmetic of running them.

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