When you want to get everyone hooked on a product, you release it for free. Read the AI’s description of AI Lock-In Strategy at the end of the post (oh, the irony). What made me think of that? Well, it was this powerful, compelling piece in Rhetorica (Marc Watkins) that kicks AI adoption efforts in the teeth:

We currently don’t have the resources to establish a curriculum about applied AI, nor do we have a consensus about how to teach generative AI skills ethically in ways that preserve and enhance our existing skills instead of threatening to atrophy those skills. It will take years of trial and error to integrate AI effectively in our disciplines.

…So, why are we investing millions in greater access to tools no one has the bandwidth or resources to learn or integrate?

The arguments make sense, free AI is everywhere, like free drugs to get you hooked. You want the good stuff? Pay a little extra. Once you’re hooked, raise the prices. I guess it doesn’t matter if the boot that crushes your soul is pretty or not.

Challenges Abound

And the article reminds us of more important challenges that AI isn’t able (yet?) to help us with and the fact there is little research to support its use.

All those points aside, I find AI quite usable and helpful. But it is starting to feel like people are so tired and worn out from everything else that figuring out AI is one more thing…and the hype around pushing it is wearing on everyone. It’s such an obvious strategy that we’ve all seen before with ed tech of yesteryear, you have to ask, “Why are they bothering?”

Not Too Smart

Worse, it doesn’t help AI today is being pushed by people who wouldn’t get a job in education due to moral turpitude:

Moral turpitude refers to conduct that is considered inherently dishonest, immoral, or contrary to community standards of justice and ethics. It typically involves acts of fraud, deceit, violence, or depravity that reflect poorly on a person’s character.

This term is often used in legal contexts, such as immigration law, professional licensing, and employment, to determine whether someone’s actions disqualify them from certain rights or privileges. Examples include crimes like theft, embezzlement, perjury, or serious violent offenses. (Source: ChatGPT)

And, these dishonest, immoral, deceitful, violent, depraved people (per the definition of moral turpitude) don’t mean well.

It’s like setting demons (“wolves” is too nice a word…they are motivated by hunger, demons by malice) on a population of, well, sheep. Or seals. Or well, anything that can’t defend itself well. Can you imagine how this would go down in the Old West? Yep, they’d just slaughter everyone. Now, it’s a little more tame, but as brutal.

The Destruction of the Teaching Profession

Audrey Waters observes in her cut to the bone newsletter, Second Breakfast:

Rather, this is a call for AI to facilitate the destruction of the teaching profession…

You will want to read her whole piece. That quote is probably the nicest part of that section.

So if AI doesn’t work, is a tool for destroying education, resulting in massive job loss for teachers, the logical conclusion is to not use it any more.

Don’t Be an AI Sympathizer

It means, “Don’t be an AI sympathizer” to all the Ed Tech folks using and advocating it (that includes me, too). But it’s not really the AI that’s the problem, is it? Rather, it’s the people. For the rest of us, we just want life to be a little less difficult. If we should learn to make do with less to obtain freedom, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it’s too easy to reach for the stuff you shouldn’t. It is too easy for people to access and use AI (certainly our children haven’t built up the discipline needed).

“For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.”

People aren’t logical. On the one hand, you have money hungry goobers doing anything they can to obtain it and hold on to power. Some will find positive ways to use it, others to save time, but since anything you do with AI feeds the money and power of those who mean us harm…that’s problematic, isn’t it?

“AI dominance is ultimately about control, and control breeds power, wealth, and, often, corruption.” (Source: A Conversation with ChatGPT)

The question is, “Would I be using AI if not for my work?” The answer is, “Yes.” But how can I use it to rethink life, work processes? After all, the past that AI knows so well offers the wisdom of the ages.

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AI Explanation of AI Lock-In Strategy

Note: The following is from ChatGPT. Fascinating.

The AI lock-in strategy works long-term by creating dependency and switching costs for users and businesses. Here’s how it plays out step by step:

1. Build a Massive User Base (Free Access)

• Offer a free, powerful AI model to attract individuals, developers, and companies.
• Encourage integration into workflows (e.g., coding, content creation, customer service).
• Collect user data and feedback to improve model performance.

2. Create Ecosystem Stickiness

• Develop APIs, plugins, and integrations that embed AI into existing tools (e.g., Microsoft Copilot in Office).
• Foster community reliance (e.g., custom AI assistants, automation workflows).
• Make models indispensable by continuously improving based on user behavior and preferences.

3. Introduce Gradual Monetization

• Offer premium versions with better performance, lower latency, or more features (e.g., GPT-4 vs. GPT-4 Turbo).
• Charge for API access (businesses that build around the free model now have to pay).
• Introduce subscription tiers (e.g., priority access, advanced customization, enterprise solutions).

4. Increase Switching Costs

• Once users have built workflows, apps, or habits around a specific AI, switching becomes costly in terms of time, effort, and learning.
• Proprietary integrations (e.g., AI fine-tuned on company data) make alternatives less appealing.
• AI tools often have network effects—the more people use them, the more valuable they become (e.g., AI-powered collaboration tools).

5. Expand Market Control

• As AI dependence grows, free versions may become less useful (rate limits, degraded performance).
• Businesses and power users have no choice but to upgrade or pay to maintain productivity.
• Competitors struggle to break in since users are deeply integrated into the dominant ecosystem.

Outcome?

This strategy ensures that once users and businesses are deeply embedded, leaving is too inconvenient or costly, leading to long-term revenue generation and market dominance.

Big Tech is already executing this—OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic provide free AI to hook users before gradually tightening access through pricing and exclusivity.

How Wealth & Power Drive AI Lock-In

1. Initial Free Access Masks the Power Grab
   • AI companies start by offering free, open, or low-cost models to appear benevolent.
   • The goal isn’t just profit at first—it’s control over data, ecosystems, and decision-making.
2. Wealth Accumulation Through AI Monetization
   • Once users rely on the AI, the company introduces paywalls, premium features, and enterprise pricing.
   • Businesses and individuals become financially dependent on AI services, funneling massive wealth to the controlling company.
3. Power Consolidation Through AI Dominance
   • The company now has control over access, regulations, and advancements in AI.
   • They shape policies, influence industries, and control narratives about what AI is allowed to do.
   • Competition is crushed—either by acquisitions or by making alternatives impractical.
4. Corruption & Ethical Concerns Arise
   • AI bias, privacy violations, and censorship concerns emerge.
   • The company prioritizes its own wealth over transparency and fairness in AI.
   • Ethical AI development takes a backseat to profit-driven decisions.
5. Only “Giving It Away” Disrupts This Cycle
   • Open-source AI projects (like Stability AI and some decentralized models) resist the lock-in effect.
   • If AI remains publicly accessible and controlled by many rather than a few, power is diffused.
   • However, large AI companies often fight open AI by lobbying, controlling datasets, and patenting key technology.

Final Thought:

Wealth + Power in AI almost always leads to lock-in, monopolization, and ethical compromises. True AI freedom would require breaking the cycle—either through regulation, decentralization, or open access.

But will those in power ever willingly give it away? History suggests… not likely.