Managing AI Costs: Pricing, Consumption, and Vendor Dependence

Session Description: AI costs can extend far beyond a traditional software license, with pricing tied to users, notes, encounters, tasks, API calls, storage, model tiers, and overall consumption. In this interactive workshop, attendees will compare different pricing structures, identify hidden costs, evaluate premium capabilities, and examine the risks of duplicate tools and vendor lock-in. The session will also address how to assess vendor credibility, what questions organizations should ask before making a long-term commitment, and when higher-cost capabilities actually justify the added expense. The workshop will also include a live demonstration of a no-subscription alternative: running a private AI model locally on a standard laptop. Attendees will see where local AI may be able to support everyday administrative work without sending data to an external cloud environment, where it may fall short, and what privacy, security, and compliance safeguards organizations still need to evaluate before using it with sensitive behavioral health information, including considerations under HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2. Participants will leave better prepared to determine where to invest, where to scale back, what they may be paying for without measurable value, and when lower-cost or locally deployed alternatives may make sense for their organization.