What is “the true cost of a token”?

I’ll be speaking at the Bayesian Interest Group November 2026 Virtual Meeting. The topic is using Bayesian models to interactively pre-estimate the value of applying an expensive inspection or procedure to a large population. For example: estimating the value of using an LLM security service on a great number of […]

I started this blog a few years ago when I began my journey studying immunology, to have a place to write about what I was learning and about applications of AI to the field. My studies were a success: I completed a Masters in Microbiology-Immunology, explored interesting applications, and met some awesome people along the way. At the end of last year, I decided to return to my origins and re-joined fast.ai, which had grown into Answer.AI while I was away. Why now? AI is an increasingly hated field, and for good reason. I wrote about my decision: There are tons of false and over-hyped claims about what AI can do, but underneath those, it is a genuinely useful technology. I want to use AI in ways that don’t degrade my own critical thinking skills and that don’t pretend that resources are unlimited. The biggest companies have made their vision for the technology seem like the only option. It isn’t. OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and xAI don’t own AI. Their values and decisions aren’t the only version of what AI technology can be. I understand why many people are anti-AI. My new job is rooted in the same objections. I returned to the field because I want to figure out how to use AI in ways that protect human creativity, autonomy, and problem-solving. You can read my full essay here. I am excited to continue exploring how to design AI tools that better encourage human understanding and human autonomy, particularly in the area of education. I have written several essays in the last year, posted at fast.ai and answer.ai, about how AI intersects with education, coding, and science: Breaking the Spell of Vibe Coding Stop Saying Boredom is Good for Kids I Don’t Want a Learning Dashboard for My Child Risks and Limitations of AI in the Life Sciences My friends all hate AI; I just joined an AI startup Going forward, you can find me at fast.ai, answer.ai, on twitter, and on LinkedIn. I look forward to reading your responses. Create a free GitHub account to comment below.

A new research paper titled “​AI Assistance Reduces Persistence and Hurts Independent Performance,”​ which was recently presented at the ​Conference on Language Modeling​, has been ... Read more The post The Good Thing About Hard Things appeared first on Cal Newport.