LLM10
Unbounded Consumption Illustration

BONUS TECH DECODER

Rate Limiting: Like a speed limit sign for AI – it controls how many requests someone can make in a certain time period.
Circuit Breaker: An automatic off-switch that stops the AI when it's using too many resources – just like a breaker in your home.
Denial of Service: When a system becomes so busy it can't help anyone else – like when everyone tries to exit through one door at once.

🧠 WHAT IS IT?

Unbounded Consumption happens when an AI system uses resources (computing power, memory, API calls) without proper limits or controls. Imagine leaving your water faucet running without any automatic shutoff—you could end up with a massive water bill or even flooding. Similarly, when AI systems don't have limits on resource usage, they can drain computing resources, rack up huge costs, or even crash systems.

🔍 HOW IT HAPPENS

  • Users or attackers send requests that trigger excessive resource consumption
  • The AI system processes these requests without checking resource usage or setting limits
  • Resources like CPU, memory, tokens, or API calls are consumed at an alarming rate
  • Costs escalate rapidly as cloud computing resources are consumed

🚨 WHY IT MATTERS

Availability A
Integrity I
Unbounded consumption can lead to denial of service for legitimate users, massive unexpected costs, and potential system failures that could impact business operations and availability.

🛡️ HOW TO PREVENT IT

  • Implement strict rate limiting and usage quotas for all AI system interactions
  • Set up monitoring and alerting for unusual resource consumption patterns
  • Create automatic circuit breakers that stop processing when usage exceeds thresholds
  • Design pricing and usage models that account for potential resource consumption risks
10/10