Scientific Definition
Training is a one-time cost. Inference is forever.
Plain-English Definition
Training is a one-time cost. Inference is forever.
Feynman Explanation
Cheap to train, expensive to serve. Pick your poison.
Core Principle
Training is a one-time cost. Inference is forever.
Mechanisms
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Inputs (Triggers)
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Outputs (Behaviors)
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Behavioral Signature
Cheap to train, expensive to serve. Pick your poison.
Examples
- Why model size matters at scale.
- Architecture choice and deployment strategy.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Right-size the model for the inference budget, not the training budget.
Measurement Approaches
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Evidence
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The Perverse Incentive Lens™
How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.
- Right-size the model for the inference budget, not the training budget.
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Interactive Mini Network
Click any neighbor to re-center the graph and follow the threads of connection.
Knowledge Graph Neighbors
Auto-linked to the rest of the Human Behavior Taxonomy by family, domain, dimension, and shared keywords.
Real cost includes data, ops, monitoring, governance, training.
AI investment outpacing measurable productivity gains.
GPU access and pricing shape what's feasible.
Operating economics shaped by per-token pricing.
A handful of providers shape the entire AI economy.
Cache common prompt prefixes to reduce cost and latency.
Written rules about how AI may be used internally.
Innovators → early adopters → majority → laggards, AI-specific.
AI system that takes actions to achieve goals, often across tools.
When the agent acts, who's responsible?
Augmentation strategy vs. substitution strategy.
Logging of AI inputs, outputs, and decisions.