tech
Routing is coming for the frontier AI labs
Routing turns models from destinations in their own right into interchangeable commodities.
TL;DR
- AI routing allows businesses to select the best AI model for specific tasks, optimizing for cost, speed, and performance.
- The growth of routing platforms like OpenRouter, and potential competitors like Meta's Switchboard, indicates a shift towards more flexible AI usage.
- Concerns about AI costs and a desire for 'AI sovereignty' are fueling the adoption of routing, with open-source models seeing increased usage.
- Routing turns AI models into interchangeable commodities, which may threaten the business model of expensive frontier AI labs.
- While routing offers alternatives, frontier AI labs are also responding with price cuts and model choices to retain market share.