Developer builds multi-provider routing after $3200 AI API billing spike

Short summary

A junior developer's production bug triggered a $3200 billing spike, prompting the author to build a multi-provider routing layer for managing AI API costs and reliability. The solution uses a configurable Python class that selects providers by cost, tracks performance metrics, and implements graceful fallback logic—separating routing decisions from API calls. The pattern supports cost-per-token tracking and strategy-based provider selection for production applications.

• •Multi-provider routing layer decouples routing logic from API calls
• •Configurable strategies for cost-first, speed-first, or user-tier-based provider selection
• •Includes cost tracking, performance monitoring, and graceful fallback mechanisms

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