OpenRouter Launches Fusion API — Model Panels at Half the Cost

OpenRouter / Hacker News·high signal

OpenRouter's Fusion API (210 points, 81 comments) routes a prompt across multiple LLMs, uses a judge model to analyze outputs, then synthesizes a final answer, scoring 69% on DRACO and claiming frontier quality at half the price. Developer reaction split sharply: some called it a breakthrough compound model, others noted mixture-of-agents has existed since 2024 and that DRACO covers zero coding tasks. Consensus on HN: treat it as an escalation lane, not a default.