I have been benchmarking the GoKiteAI network against centralized alternatives like AWS. If I run a simple "Sentiment Analysis" script on AWS, I get a result in 50 milliseconds. On Kite, the same operation takes about 350-400 milliseconds.
Where does that extra 300ms go? It goes to the "Trust Tax."
100ms for the x402 payment negotiation (signing, broadcasting).
100ms for the node to verify my reputation score.
100ms for the "Watcher" sampling (the proof of useful work).
Is it worth it? For a consumer app like a chatbot? No. Users hate lag. But for a financial transaction? Absolutely.
If my agent is moving 10,000 USD based on that sentiment analysis, I will happily wait an extra 0.3 seconds to ensure the data wasn't tampered with and the model execution was verified.
Kite isn't trying to be faster than AWS. It is trying to be safer than AWS. The pitch isn't "Instant AI"; it is "Verifiable AI." Developers need to understand this trade-off. If you are building a real-time video game, Kite is too slow. If you are building an automated hedge fund, Kite is the only safe option.
