OpenAI and Anthropic slash prices as Chinese rivals gain ground

OpenAI and Anthropic are engaged in a competitive pricing strategy, introducing more affordable models to attract budget-conscious clients shifting towards Chinese competitors. OpenAI has slashed the price of GPT-5.6 Luna by 80%, while Anthropic has rolled out Claude Opus 5 at 50% of Fable 5's cost. According to Silicon Data's token price index, prices from US laboratories have decreased by nearly 25% since mid-July. This trend arises as US AI firms, which have historically prioritized performance, encounter competition from effective 'open' models from China. As both companies gear up for IPOs, corporate clients are turning to usage-based billing, leading firms like DoorDash and Airbnb to consider Chinese models to manage escalating AI expenses.