Trying to understand the true costs of AI development. I have found that quotes can differ based on the factors that I would not have imagined such as whether you require explainability features, audit trails, or different compliance requirements.

Complexity in terms of integration also appears to be a massive driver of cost. CONTUS Tech took me through their breakup of costs showing data preparation alone can cost 30% to 40% of the budget. That surprised me.

What have you considered to be the greatest influence on AI development costs? Where do budgets go off the track usually? Would like to hear real experiences.