I was paying $200/month in wasted AI tokens. So I built a Rust context optimizer.

My Cursor bill last month: $340. I dug into the API logs. Over 60% of the tokens were being sent to the LLM were: Boilerplate I'd copied from Stack Overflow three years ago The same database helper...

By · · 1 min read
I was paying $200/month in wasted AI tokens. So I built a Rust context optimizer.

Source: DEV Community

My Cursor bill last month: $340. I dug into the API logs. Over 60% of the tokens were being sent to the LLM were: Boilerplate I'd copied from Stack Overflow three years ago The same database helper function, 4 slightly different times An entire test file that has nothing to do with what I was asking My AI tool was optimizing for similarity -- and similarity is not the same as information. The problem with every AI coding tool Cursor, Copilot, Claude Code, Cody -- they all select context the same way: Embed your query Find the top-K similar chunks Stuff them into the context window until full Cut everything else The result? Query: "How does payment processing work?" What your AI actually sees: auth.py (similarity: 0.94) <- useful auth_test.py (similarity: 0.91) <- copies auth logic auth_utils.py (similarity: 0.89) <- more auth copies auth_v2.py (similarity: 0.87) <- even more auth ... payments.py (similarity: 0.41) <- NEVER LOADED, cut by budget Your AI is answering quest

Related Posts

Similar Topics

#research (4932)#artificial intelligence (4019)#machine learning & data science (2642)#machine learning (1731)#china (1102)#data science (1089)#industry (1099)#deep learning (708)#united states (600)#conference (637)#computer vision & graphics (595)#programming (552)#llm (636)#artificial intelligence_ (641)#nature language tech (393)#global news (439)#ai weekly (270)#large language models (322)#featured (466)#webdev (381)

Trending on ShareHub

  1. Understanding Modern JavaScript Frameworks in 2026
    by Alex Chen · Feb 12, 2026 · 0 likes
  2. The System Design Primer
    by Sarah Kim · Feb 12, 2026 · 0 likes
  3. Just shipped my first open-source project!
    by Alex Chen · Feb 12, 2026 · 0 likes
  4. OpenAI Blog
    by Sarah Kim · Feb 12, 2026 · 0 likes
  5. Building Accessible Web Applications: A Practical Guide
    by Alex Chen · Feb 12, 2026 · 0 likes
  6. Rapper Lil Poppa dead at 25, days after releasing new music
    Rapper Lil Poppa dead at 25, days after releasing new music
    by Anonymous User · Feb 19, 2026 · 0 likes
  7. write-for-us
    by Volt Raven · Mar 7, 2026 · 0 likes
  8. Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Heartfelt Story of Time Travel and Second Chances
    Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Heartfelt Story of Time Travel and Second Chances
    by Anonymous User · Feb 12, 2026 · 0 likes
    #coffee gets cold #the #time travel
  9. Best DoorDash Promo Code Reddit Finds for Top Discounts
    Best DoorDash Promo Code Reddit Finds for Top Discounts
    by Anonymous User · Feb 12, 2026 · 0 likes
    #doordash #promo #reddit
  10. Premium SEO Services That Boost Rankings & Revenue | VirtualSEO.Expert
    by Anonymous User · Feb 12, 2026 · 0 likes
  11. NBC under fire for commentary about Team USA women's hockey team
    NBC under fire for commentary about Team USA women's hockey team
    by Anonymous User · Feb 18, 2026 · 0 likes
  12. Where to Watch The Nanny: Streaming and Online Viewing Options
    Where to Watch The Nanny: Streaming and Online Viewing Options
    by Anonymous User · Feb 12, 2026 · 0 likes
    #streaming #the nanny #where
  13. How Much Is Kindle Unlimited? Subscription Cost and Plan Details
    How Much Is Kindle Unlimited? Subscription Cost and Plan Details
    by Anonymous User · Feb 12, 2026 · 0 likes
    #kindle unlimited #subscription #unlimited
  14. Russian skater facing backlash for comment about Amber Glenn
    Russian skater facing backlash for comment about Amber Glenn
    by Anonymous User · Feb 18, 2026 · 0 likes
  15. Google News
    Google News
    by Anonymous User · Feb 18, 2026 · 0 likes

Latest on ShareHub

Browse Topics

#artificial intelligence (36884)#data science (24144)#generative ai (19046)#ai (17868)#crypto (15051)#machine learning (14735)#bitcoin (14333)#featured (13584)#news & insights (13064)#crypto news (11118)

Around the Network