What matters now is not to become dependent on particular AI models. For every use case, pick the model and the vendor best suited to it. The most capable solution is not always the one that makes the most sense economically and strategically. Only then can companies really secure cost control, transparency, technological interchangeability, long-term scalability and, in the end, their own sovereignty.
The price per token has been falling for months. The bill keeps rising anyway. In episode 9 of Prompt & Proper, Steffen Ochsenreither from Swiss Post and I compare what we see in our organisations, and it is the same pattern on both sides: the more we develop agentically, the faster consumption grows, and it grows faster than model prices drop. The episode is in German, and this post captures the core of the conversation.
Summary # Handelsblatt examines how the shift by major model providers to usage-based billing turns tokens into a resource that companies must actively manage, much like labor, energy, and capital. The trigger, among others, is GitHub Copilot moving to token-based billing. The article shows how companies are responding to the cost pressure through budgets, model selection, and new platforms.
