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Price per unit of capability (cheapest near-frontier model, Artificial Analysis)

On each price change date, the lowest Artificial Analysis blended list price (USD per million tokens, 3:1 input to output) divided by the model's Intelligence Index, among models in the top decile of the index. Derived metric aa_frontier_price_per_point.

Reason through this

The reading

The series records price change-points from 11 September 2026; a direction needs several of them. The cheapest near-frontier model is often an open-weight one, so this reads the whole model layer, not only the frontier labs.

Every readingeach dot links to its record
$0.0058 · 2026-09-11 · measured$0.011 · 2026-10-27 · measured
a readingthe rule needs 5 readings; 2 so far
measured

2 readings drawn from the derived metric aa_frontier_price_per_point; 4 observations in the evidence.

Derived (aa_frontier_price_per_point) from: Artificial Analysis API (Intelligence Index, blended price, speed). Artificial Analysis.

The numbers
as ofreadingvaluerecord
2026-10-27—$0.011measured
2026-09-11—$0.0058measured

Why it matters

The same capture proxy as the METR-hour price on an independent capability axis that covers hundreds of models, refreshed daily. Falling means the surplus from better models is passed on; flat or rising means labs keep it.

What cuts against it

List prices, not the committed-use prices large buyers pay; the Intelligence Index is re-based between Artificial Analysis versions; the top decile moves as models are added and dropped; unpriced models are excluded.

How it is measured

Four price change-points; a move under $0.0006 per million tokens per index point (about a tenth of the 11 Sep 2026 level) is one model's repricing. Rising = labs keeping the surplus from capability gains.

Applied to metric:aa_frontier_price_per_point.

Derived rows (2)
as ofdimsvalueinputs
2026-10-27$0.011sources12
2026-09-11$0.0058sources12
Latest readings
  • 2026-10-27 · $0.011as of 2026-10-27(2 obs)
  • 2026-09-11 · $0.0058as of 2026-09-11(2 obs)
Why this status, and its history

It has 1 reading and its direction rule compares 5, so it reads emerging rather than not yet measurable: the site uses not yet measurable only for what cannot be measured at all. The status turns into a direction once enough readings exist.

  1. 2026-09-27not yet measurable to emergingconf 40 → 40 · Claude (model)

    It has 1 reading and its direction rule compares 5, so it reads emerging rather than not yet measurable: the site uses not yet measurable only for what cannot be measured at all. The status turns into a direction once enough readings exist.

    Weighed against it: None needed: no reading has changed; this corrects the word used for too few readings.

    sources12
  2. 2026-09-11unmeasured to not yet measurableconf — → 40 · Claude (model)

    First price snapshot, 11 Sep 2026: the cheapest model in the top decile of the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, GLM-5.3 Flash (index 41.9, $0.237 per million blended tokens), costs about $0.0057 per million tokens per index point. The series records price change-points, so a direction needs four more of them; not yet measurable until then.

    sources12
Why this confidence

Rests on 4 observations from Artificial Analysis API (Intelligence Index, blended price, speed); best evidence tier 1, grade A; current.

Confidence is independent of status: 90–95 multiple strong independent sources; 70–89 good evidence, some ambiguity; 50–69 mixed or hard to operationalise; 0–49 limited or vague evidence.