TechnicalAI glossary
Token
The smallest unit of text a model processes, often a piece of a word. "Incroyable" can be 2-3 tokens. API prices are counted in tokens.
In other words
The LEGO of language: the model assembles bricks, not whole words.
Alyriaz articles that mention it
- Opus 5.5: what actually changes compared with the previous one
Beyond benchmarks, we detail what Opus 5.5 does differently from Opus 5 in practice: speed, token consumption, endurance on long tasks, and the shape of its answers.
- How a model can process text, sound and images at the same time
An omnimodal model handles several types of input within a single architecture. We explain the mechanism that makes this possible and what it implies.
- A single model for text, image, sound and video
Alibaba has released Qwen3.8-Omni-Flash, a model that natively handles multiple modalities with a one-million-token context window. We explain what omnimodality actually changes.
- Six hundred billion parameters at a dollar per million tokens
StepFun has launched Step 5 Preview, a 600-billion-parameter model with a one-million-token context window, priced at 1 dollar for input. We put that rate into context within the current landscape.
- One image, how many tokens? Why we bill photos by the word
Image models are billed in tokens, the same unit as text. We explain how an image is split into tokens, why editing costs double, and how to reduce your bill.
- DeepSeek releases a model at 14 cents per million tokens that beats its own high-end offering
DeepSeek released a new version of its Flash model on 31 July 2026, priced at around $0.14 per million tokens, which scores 82.7% on Terminal-Bench and outperforms its own Pro model on several agentic tests. We analyse what this reversal means.