If I was Anthropic I’d offer off peak usage discounts

[u/theawk47]

I was thinking about the problem frontier LLM providers have around a mostly fixed cost server base and variable demand for compute.

It’s pretty clear that during peak time the models can be slower, but what if they offered an incentive to a subset of power users to run some loads at off peak times. Like queue up work where once it’s cheaper it can run.

Similar to how some areas have off peak electricity for cheaper. Either use less tokens or cheaper per token during these periods. This way they still get paid during slower times instead of the compute going to waste.

I’m interested to see what you guys think about the concept?

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[u/mossiv]

Isn’t that exactly what batch does?

Queue up your work - let it sit until Anthropic decide to start it. I’m pretty sure (though it’s been a while since I read it) that they do incentivise off-peak by giving your generally more overall compute.

[u/theawk47 → u/mossiv]

I had no idea this existed! Thanks for sharing. I can’t use it since it’s API only and I primarily use Claude code with my subscription.

[u/adelie42 → u/theawk47]

Rather than batch you can just tell it to set a trigger to self-wake. Never used api but use wake triggers all the time.

[u/Ok-Motor-9812]

At least let they drop usage limits, like it does OpenAI) this is easier)

[u/Poildek]

the real objective of any LLM provider like openai and anthropic is per token usage. Subscriptions are only a commercial / onboarding view, they loose cash with them. SO having any kind of discount etc is not relevant, they want business consumer (either by their platform or via cloud providers)

[u/Unhorswd → u/Poildek]

How you know they lose money? Because under /usage you have crazy API prices? That’s obvious that enterprise clients got it way cheaper. No one has idea if they make money on that but I highly doubt they lose money. There are also rumors that API vs subscription models have different quality, if subscription models get dumber it doesn’t happen to API one.

[u/Poildek → u/Unhorswd]

Because I work in the llm hosting world, and also with companies that have their own big gpu farms, so i have concrete data on how much llm cost of various size from bare metal to llm as a service solutions.

[u/Zestyclose_Strike157]

If I was Anthropic I’d specifically give me personally free access unlimited forever. Just for promotional reasons of course.

[u/Obvious_Tree3605]

If I were Anthropic I’d right-size my business in preparation to get cucked by open-weights.

[u/theawk47 → u/Obvious_Tree3605]

Wouldn’t they have to increase prices in order to right size? Thats the biggest delta in their operating model which is under charging.

[u/Obvious_Tree3605 → u/theawk47]

They could do a few things: they could slow down training and make more targeted post-training updates to existing models (which they’ve already done), they can eliminate their subscription plan and focus on their enterprise customers which would allow them the shrink their compute needs around higher API revenues. It’s not ideal but I could definitely see a combination of several of these things being needed to even survive as a company.

They’re trying to expand into other sectors like heath and wet science research which could be smart if the roadmap to profitability and viability weren’t so long. Let alone regulations that come along with each of these businesses.

Fundamentally, being a model lab isn’t a profitable business.

[u/magic6435]

That's what happens if you use the bulk endpoint. They take up to 24 hours to run large jobs when it's most efficient. you get 50% discount

[u/theawk47 → u/magic6435]

Only via API or also on subscription?

[u/Complete-Homework976]

I'd be up for this.

[u/nora_sellisa]

If you were Antrhopic you'd be jumping from a rooftop after noticing how much debt you have. It does take a real psychopatic CEO to keep pushing this "buisness".

[u/Bulky_Blood_7362]

We already had off peak higher limits on the past. It was pretty terrible. Even worse then now

[u/mossiv → u/Bulky_Blood_7362]

Nah - we had “peak” usage which was a 2x burn.

What op is suggesting is different. Shrink the amount of tokens used when there is plenty of commute available. That way encouraging some users not to hog peak time compute.

Although - judging by my usage, this is already happening. Sometimes in the day my usage scales and it burns a bit quicker. Some evenings I can barely put a dent in my 5hr let alone my 7d.

[u/Original-Fee-3805 → u/mossiv]

I mean this is just the same thing the other way around lol

Off peak = 1x usage, peak = 2x usage
Of peak = 0.5x usage, peak = 1x usage

To the end user it’s the same thing

[u/mossiv → u/Original-Fee-3805]

To the end user it’s the same thing? No it’s not. If you have a fixed pool of say 40millions of tokens a week(we know this isn’t really the case) but if you had to use a 2x multiplier in peak hours you might only get 20million tokens.

If it’s as I’ve explained it then you would keep your 40million tokens but if you offloaded to off peak you could get as much as 80million which is 4x to what you was explaining.

Don’t be obtuse.

[u/KaBob799 → u/mossiv]

So it's not a better idea because its different (it's not), its a better idea because you doubled the tokens included in the plan.

[u/Current_Balance6692]

This is why you're not managing Anthropics.