tokens are getting more expensive

The author argues that flat-rate AI subscriptions cannot be sustained because cheaper models are offset by rising token consumption. The argument rests on the idea that demand concentrates on the newest frontier model, which costs about the same per token over time, while agentic tasks now run far longer: the article says task length has been doubling every six months and that Anthropic's Claude Code consumed 10 billion tokens in a month. It cites Claude Code rolling back its $200/month unlimited tier and Windsurf being sold for parts as evidence. The author concludes that no flat subscription price works in this environment and suggests switching costs or vertical integration as alternatives.