Is this the beginning of a shift in AI billing models? GitHub Copilot users have received confirmation: starting June 1, 2026, all plans will transition to usage-based billing: 1) Major change in billing logic: Microsoft will no longer offer a fixed number of 'requests' but will charge based on the actual tokens consumed by the model. 2) Substantial price hike: The original $19 monthly subscription fee will directly convert into a $19 token credit. This essentially marks the end of the subsidy-driven user growth model. According to a 2023 report by *The Wall Street Journal*, Microsoft was losing an average of $20 per user per month, with some heavy users causing losses of up to $80. The higher the user engagement, the greater the consumption. The previous subscription model has become increasingly burdensome for AI providers. GitHub Copilot is likely just the beginning of a broader shift in AI billing models, not an isolated case. The upside is that AI commercialization will accelerate, but the downside is that, as users, we may have to face significantly higher bills. The number of token-poor users is about to skyrocket #AI #GitHubCopilot #Microsoft #TokenEconomy #TechNews