One of those arguments is:

> there's not that much motive to gain API market share with unsustainably cheap prices. Any gains would be temporary, since there's no long-term lock-in, and better models are released weekly

The goal may be not so much locking customers in, but outlasting other LLM providers whilst maintaining a good brand image. Once everyone starts seeing you as "the" LLM provider, costs can start going up. That's what Uber and Lyft have been trying to do (though obviously without success).

Also, the prices may become more sustainable if LLM providers find ways to inject ad revenue into their products.