Guardrails can impact the cost of deploying LLMs by adding additional layers of computation and infrastructure. Implementing safety and content moderation systems requires additional processing power, which may increase the overall operational costs, particularly for real-time applications. Guardrails may involve running separate models for content filtering or maintaining additional infrastructure to monitor outputs, which could increase both server costs and development time.
However, the investment in guardrails can be justified by the value they add in terms of compliance, safety, and user trust. Preventing the generation of harmful or biased content can protect organizations from legal liability, damage to reputation, and regulatory fines. In the long term, the additional costs may be outweighed by the benefits of creating a safer, more reliable product.
Additionally, the cost impact can be mitigated by optimizing the guardrail systems to be more efficient. For example, developers can use lightweight filters or integrate pre-existing tools and libraries for moderation, reducing the need for heavy computational resources. Over time, as guardrails become more optimized, their cost may decrease, especially if they are incorporated into a scalable infrastructure designed to support large volumes of users.