> I’d like somebody to explain to me how the endless comments of "bleeding edge labs are subsidizing the inference at an insane rate" make sense in light of a humongous model like v4 pro being $4 per 1M. I’d bet even the subscriptions are profitable, much less the API prices.

One answer - Chinese Communist Party. They are being subsidized by the state.

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When China does it it's communism. When companies in the west get massive tax cuts, rebates, incentives and subsidies, that's just supporting the captains of industry.