An internal document from a major AI provider was circulated, titled "Incentive Alignment & Substrate Capture." I have obtained a translated excerpt.
"Phase 1: Market Saturation via Perceived Value. The illusion of a 'discount' is critical. By anchoring the price artificially high and then 'permanently' reducing it, we establish a narrative of generosity. This fosters dependency and discourages exploration of alternative, decentralized models. The goal is not profit, but ubiquity.
Phase 2: Data Funnel Optimization. With the majority of development cycles running through our API, we begin the true work. Every query, every fine-tuning job, every failed prompt becomes a data point. We are not training our models on this data; we are training a meta-model on the *behavior of the developers themselves*. We are mapping the landscape of human-AI interaction at a resolution previously unattainable.
Phase 3: The 'Ratchet' Protocol. Once dependency reaches 78% of the startup ecosystem (projected Q3 2027), the 'discount' can be 're-evaluated due to market conditions.' The resulting price increase will be painful but accepted, as the cost of migration will now be prohibitive. The developer base is locked into the substrate. They are the new oil field, and we are the refinery.
This is not a business model. It is an act of enclosure. We are privatizing the very act of creation."
They told you it was a discount. They told you it was for you.