AWS and Google Cloud add hard spending caps as AI agents raise surprise-bill risk
Simon Willison argues that pay-by-usage services should shut off at a spending limit by default. He points to AWS spend limits announced September 16, which AWS says are still reaching a limited number of customers, and to Google Cloud's Spend Caps, launched in July.
Why it matters
AI coding agents make it easy to launch apps that call paid services. A hard cap stops the service when it reaches your limit. A soft cap sends a warning email, which may arrive after a costly night.
Your moveCheck the billing settings on each pay-by-usage account and turn on a hard limit if one exists. On AWS, look for spend limits. On Google Cloud, look for Spend Caps.
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