  Large Language Models (LLMs) are a powerful technology that augment human
skill to create new opportunities, akin to the development of steam engines and
the internet. However, LLMs come with a high cost. They require significant
computing resources and energy to train and serve. Inequity in their control
and access has led to concentration of ownership and power to a small
collection of corporations. In our study, we collect training and inference
requirements for various LLMs. We then analyze the economic strengths of
nations and organizations in the context of developing and serving these
models. Additionally, we also look at whether individuals around the world can
access and use this emerging technology. We compare and contrast these groups
to show that these technologies are monopolized by a surprisingly few entities.
We conclude with a qualitative study on the ethical implications of our
findings and discuss future directions towards equity in LLM access.
