OpenAI engineers found software optimizations that cut inference costs by more than half for free ChatGPT traffic, according to The Information.
The report says the change reduced the GPU footprint for logged-out free traffic to roughly two hundred cards without adding new hardware. The details were not disclosed, but the implication is clear: inference efficiency is now as strategic as model training.
What to watch
The story matters because it turns a technical product move into a business and policy signal. The next test is adoption outside the launch circle and whether the numbers hold up in daily use.
Sources: The Information, CocoLoop.