The End of Free Tokens
The article discusses the rising costs of AI token usage, drawing parallels to the increasing prices of Uber rides. It highlights that while the prices for AI services have stabilized, demand continues to outpace supply, leading to higher costs for users. The piece concludes that while free tokens are disappearing, accessible AI remains possible through strategic use of different model types.
- ▪The cost of AI token usage has significantly increased, similar to the rising prices of Uber rides.
- ▪Anthropic's pricing for its Opus tier has remained unchanged despite improvements in token efficiency.
- ▪The demand for AI services is currently outstripping supply, leading to tighter limits and higher costs.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
May 18, 2026 Around 2018 I took an UberPool across Manhattan for $1.78. Cheaper than the subway. Today the same ride is about $20 and nobody finds that surprising. The rides were never $1.78. The difference came out of somebody else's wallet, and eventually that somebody wanted it back. Tokens. While supplies last. The same thing is coming for tokens. Last month ccusage estimated my Claude usage at $5,098.85 in API list-price terms. I paid Anthropic $200. Maybe API list price isn't Anthropic's real cost. Maybe ccusage over-counts cache reads. Fine. Divide by four. The gap is still embarrassing. The obvious objection: we've been told the AI bill was about to land for two years now and it hasn't. That is fair.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Douwe's Projects.
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