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Technology

AI models are getting cheaper. The bills are not.

Per-token prices have fallen ninety percent. Yet enterprise budgets keep climbing. Two charts and a soft truth explain why.

Technology · plate by Jareeda

The findings, drawn from a six-month review of public filings, paint a more complicated picture than the official communiqué suggested. Critics argue the proposal trades short-term political relief for a longer, more expensive reckoning down the line. On paper, the agreement looks routine. In practice, it sets a precedent that several other capitals will study closely. The committee's report, released without fanfare on a Friday afternoon, is more pointed than its tone suggests.

The findings, drawn from a six-month review of public filings, paint a more complicated picture than the official communiqué suggested. Critics argue the proposal trades short-term political relief for a longer, more expensive reckoning down the line. On paper, the agreement looks routine. In practice, it sets a precedent that several other capitals will study closely. The committee's report, released without fanfare on a Friday afternoon, is more pointed than its tone suggests.

The findings, drawn from a six-month review of public filings, paint a more complicated picture than the official communiqué suggested. Critics argue the proposal trades short-term political relief for a longer, more expensive reckoning down the line. On paper, the agreement looks routine. In practice, it sets a precedent that several other capitals will study closely.

"Per-token prices have fallen ninety percent."

Miles Aldridge · 29 April 2026

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Reader letters

1 so far
  • Sara V.

    Per-token economics is the wrong unit. Total cost of ownership is the unit, and it's going up.