As someone who has long bought into the idea that the labs are not profitable on inference, I have a question. How is it simultaneously true that there is more demand for inference than supply (apparently by orders of magnitude), but also that inference is so cheap that labs can make healthy margins? It seems like the inference providers, not the model providers, should have the leverage. Why haven’t they said, “give me a bigger cut of each token or I won’t serve your model”?
Also, what happens when the inference providers suffocate on their own debt burdens? Who will serve inference?
Also, what happens when the inference providers suffocate on their own debt burdens? Who will serve inference?