[srg0]

> most LLM users will ~always choose the smartest model

Most LLM users will choose the cheapest model which is good enough.

I think that LLMs' performance is already "good enough" for a lot of applications. We're in the diminishing returns part of the curve.

There are two other concerns:

1. being able to run the model on trusted infrastructure locally (so some jerk won't turn it off on a whim, and the data will remain safe and comply with the local data protection laws and policies)

2. having good tools to create AI applications (like how easy it is to fine-tune it to customer needs)

> how much the addition of copyrighted material affects how smart the resulting model is

Copyrighted material improve the models, not by making it smart, but more factually correct, because it will be trained on reputable, reliable and up-to-date sources.