Steinberger corrected the controversial figure of $1.3 million per month: it corresponds to OpenAI's Fast Mode. Without it, the cost drops to $300,000, equivalent to 60 Codex Pro subscriptions. The clarification came after criticism over the lack of austerity in the OpenClaw project, the open-source framework that connects AI with messaging and which surpassed 302,000 stars on GitHub in April 2026.
OpenClaw: the framework that democratizes AI in messaging 🚀
OpenClaw became the fastest-growing open-source project on GitHub, achieving 302,000 stars in April 2026. Its function is to connect artificial intelligence models with messaging applications, removing technical barriers for developers. Steinberger raised a key reflection: how to develop software if tokens didn't matter, suggesting a paradigm shift in cost and resource optimization within this experiment funded by OpenAI.
The token dilemma: what if programming were free? 🤔
Steinberger wonders what it would be like to develop software if tokens didn't matter. It sounds nice, but in practice, dropping from $1.3 million to $300,000 per month is not exactly a pocket-sized budget. For mere mortals, 60 Codex Pro subscriptions are still a luxury. Perhaps the reflection should include a volume discount or a payment plan, because austerity has its limits, even for AI.