Final training of AI models is a fraction of their total cost
AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication
AI models cost more to develop than expected, with final training runs accounting for only a small fraction of total costs. Epoch AI found that OpenAI spent only 10% of its $5 billion R&D budget on training runs, with most going to scaling and research. Similar patterns were seen in Chinese companies MiniMax and Z.ai, sparking concerns about intellectual property theft and replication of results at a lower cost.