The Information Machine

The Information reports that OpenAI has cut inference costs by more than half on some existing models, while logged-out …

Rohan Paul Twitter · Rohan Paul (@rohanpaul_ai) · 2026-06-30

The Information reports OpenAI has cut inference costs by more than half on some existing models through optimization techniques, as OpenAI's adjusted gross margin fell to 33% in 2025 before targeting 52% by year-end 2026, with Anthropic sitting at approximately 44%.

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Topics: openaiinference-costsai-economicsmodel-efficiencygross-margins

Claims

  • OpenAI has cut inference costs by more than half on some existing models, according to The Information.
  • Logged-out ChatGPT traffic ran on only a couple hundred Nvidia GPUs, suggesting significant efficiency in serving unauthenticated users.
  • OpenAI's adjusted gross margin fell to 33% in 2025 from 40% in 2024 after inference costs quadrupled, recovering to 39% in Q1 2026 with a 52% target by year-end.
  • Anthropic's gross margin is approximately 44%, indicating that frontier labs remain well below mature software economics.

Key quotes

OpenAI has cut inference costs by more than half on some existing models, while logged-out ChatGPT traffic ran on only a couple hundred Nvidia GPUs.
OpenAI's adjusted gross margin fell to 33% in 2025 from 40% in 2024, after inference costs quadrupled.
Lower cost can raise margins, expand usage limits, or reduce pressure on API pricing.