Anthropic has updated its Claude chatbot with the larger 3.5 Haiku language model. The new neural network is superior in performance to previous versions, but its use will also be more expensive. At the same time, the model offers improved text generation, but does not yet support image analysis.
Image source: Anthropic
TechCrunch confirms that the model is available in the Claude web version and on mobile devices starting yesterday. First introduced in November, the Claude 3.5 Haiku performs in some tests equal to or even better than Anthropic’s flagship model, the Claude 3 Opus. According to the company, the new product is ideal for programming recommendations, data extraction and classification, and content moderation. Unlike its predecessor, this version is capable of generating longer text fragments and contains more recent information.
However, Claude 3.5 Haiku lacks support for image analysis, which puts the version at a disadvantage compared to other Anthropic models such as Claude 3 Haiku and 3.5 Sonnet. The release also caused a certain reaction due to changes in pricing policy. Anthropic initially said the new model would cost the same as its predecessor. However, later the company revised its position, explaining the high cost by the improved intellectual capabilities of the new product. “During final testing, we found that Haiku outperformed Claude 3 Opus in many areas. As a result, we have increased the price of the 3.5 Haiku to reflect its capabilities,” the company said in a post on Platform X.
Claude 3.5 Haiku costs start at $1 per million input tokens (approximately 750,000 words) and $5 per million output tokens. By comparison, using Claude 3 Haiku costs 25 cents per million input tokens and $1.25 per million output tokens, making the new model four times more expensive. Despite this, Anthropic continues to offer Claude 3 Haiku as a more cost-effective solution with support for image analysis. “Claude 3 Haiku will remain available to users who value maximum cost-effectiveness and imaging functionality,” said head of developer relations Alex Albert.
Despite criticism due to rising prices, Anthropic emphasizes that Claude 3.5 Haiku has improved text generation capabilities and can link to more current events. However, increasing the cost for a model within one series, as TechCrunch notes, is a rare practice in the industry, which raises questions in terms of the company’s future pricing strategy for its products.