Question 1

What is AI model routing and why use it?

Accepted Answer

AI model routing sends different request types to different models based on complexity. Simple queries (classification, extraction) go to cheap models like Gemini Flash. Complex reasoning goes to premium models like GPT-4o. This can reduce costs by 70-90% while maintaining quality.

Question 2

How do I determine request complexity for routing?

Accepted Answer

Complexity 1-2: Simple tasks (classification, formatting, extraction). Complexity 3: Moderate tasks (content generation, Q&A). Complexity 4-5: Complex tasks (reasoning, code generation, analysis). Match complexity to model capability to optimize cost.

Question 3

What is the cost savings from smart routing?

Accepted Answer

Routing simple tasks to Gemini Flash ($0.075/K) instead of GPT-4o ($5/K) saves 98.5%. A typical workload with 70% simple, 20% moderate, 10% complex requests can save 60-80% overall while maintaining acceptable quality.

Question 4

Which models are best for each complexity level?

Accepted Answer

Simple: Gemini 1.5 Flash, DeepSeek V3, GPT-4o-mini. Moderate: GPT-4o-mini, Claude Haiku, DeepSeek V3. Complex: Claude Sonnet, GPT-4o. Very Complex: Claude Opus, GPT-4o. Match quality needs to cost constraints.

Question 5

How do I implement model routing in my application?

Accepted Answer

Implement routing with a rule-based system: classify requests by complexity upfront, route based on rules. Or use semantic routing: a lightweight classifier determines complexity and selects model. Libraries like LangChain support multi-model routing with fallback chains.

Request	Complexity	Routed Model	Quality	Speed	Cost
Simple Classification	1	Gemini 1.5 Flash	6/10	10/10	$0.0075
Content Generation	3	GPT-4o-mini	7/10	9/10	$0.0750
Complex Reasoning	5	GPT-4o	10/10	7/10	$5.0000

Request	Complexity	Routed Model	Quality	Speed	Cost
Simple Classification	1	Gemini 1.5 Flash	6/10	10/10	$0.0075
Content Generation	3	GPT-4o-mini	7/10	9/10	$0.0750
Complex Reasoning	5	GPT-4o	10/10	7/10	$5.0000

AI Model Router Calculator

Request Types

Smart Routing Results

Routing Strategy

Model Reference Table

AI Model Router Calculator

Request Types

Smart Routing Results

Routing Strategy

Model Reference Table