Why AI Coding Tools Need Transparent Pricing and Task-Based Model Selection

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A software developer argues that AI coding agents lack the cost transparency and accountability that other trades take for granted, often trapping users in a sunk-cost cycle of iterative prompting without clear delivery guarantees. Unlike traditional software marketplaces where engineers were rated publicly and priced honestly, current AI tools normalize vague estimates and unpredictable outcomes. The author also raises concerns about widening access inequality, noting that frontier model hardware grows more expensive rather than more affordable over time. To address this, the developer proposes an 'intelligence ladder' — a framework that maps tasks to specific model requirements and cost estimates before work begins. After a year of development, a working version of this system is now ready to be shared publicly.

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