Inference Engines Shape Local AI Economics

Local AI costs are shaped not only by model and hardware choices, but by the inference engine that determines how efficiently the model runs. The article explains how inference engines affect memory usage, request batching, token generation, latency, quantization support, KV cache handling, and benchmark performance. It compares engine choices for experimentation, small-team engineering, and production-scale deployments, while highlighting why misconfiguration can waste GPU capacity or erase expected cost savings. Technology leaders should evaluate inference architecture before committing to local AI infrastructure.