token — The chunk of text a model reads and writes in — roughly three-quarters of a word — and the unit AI usage is billed in.
Why it matters
Discounting frontier models produced a 5.6x-13.8x tokenThe chunk of text a model reads and writes in — roughly three-quarters of a word — and the unit AI usage is billed in.Full definition → surge that mostly displaced rival labs rather than cannibalizing the vendor's own line, and about a third of trialing accounts stayed after prices reverted. Price cuts buy durable share, not just a spike.
