AI Profitability Concerns

The cluster focuses on debates about the high costs of running AI models, current lack of profitability for AI companies due to investor subsidies, and whether AI can achieve sustainable economics compared to human labor.

🚀 Rising 3.1x AI & Machine Learning
3,162
Comments
19
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#178
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Keywords

AI IMO SAAS GI DeepSeek ROI FT API VC GPU ai cost ai companies companies costs profitable paying models humans money

Sample Comments

lovich Dec 11, 2025 View on HN

You are ignoring costsThe AI companies are currently lighting dollars on fire if you pay them a few pennies to do so.The AI models are actually accomplishing something, but the unit economics aren't there to support it being profitable

senordevnyc Dec 2, 2025 View on HN

I must be dense, why does this imply AI can't be profitable?

agilob Mar 3, 2025 View on HN

AI isn't going to be any cheaper

nothercastle May 15, 2025 View on HN

Here is to hoping someone can find a use case for ai that brings in more value than it costs

ilrwbwrkhv Dec 17, 2024 View on HN

Who's paying for the cost of the AI?

downrightmike Aug 19, 2025 View on HN

You're probably going to end up switching around for daily limits.Just note that no one is paying the real cost of AI, if they were, it would be plain to see that hiring a human is way cheaper. So burn that M$FT and VC money while you can.

downrightmike Dec 17, 2024 View on HN

It costs way more to run the AI than the equivalent human labor. No one is paying the actual costs.

fullstackwife Jul 28, 2025 View on HN

you spend 400$ per month on api usage, but your AI builds the next unicorn worth billions, where is the problem?

dschuetz Jul 7, 2023 View on HN

Well, it's simple: AI is getting cheaper, humans are getting more expensive.

KevinGlass Mar 17, 2023 View on HN

AI doesn't have to better, or even 90% as good. It just has to be cheaper.