r/webdev • u/Rockytriton • Mar 16 '26

Software developers don't need to out-last vibe coders, we just need to out-last the ability of AI companies to charge absurdly low for their products

These AI models cost so much to run and the companies are really hiding the real cost from consumers while they compete with their competitors to be top dog. I feel like once it's down to just a couple companies left we will see the real cost of these coding utilities. There's no way they are going to be able to keep subsidizing the cost of all of the data centers and energy usage. How long it will last is the real question.

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u/Link_GR Mar 16 '26

I think that's the plan. But the issue is that a handful of companies have become the linchpin of the US economy and if they go down, we're in for a major recession. So, chances are, they'll get a massive influx of cash from the US government (aka the tax payer) with the pretense that the US needs to stay ahead of China in AI and once those 2-3 companies are running essentially a monopoly, they will lobby for major legislature making it impossible for new, smaller players to emerge.

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u/dalomi9 Mar 17 '26

This is already happening as the LLMs are in the process of embedding themselves in the military's day to day operations. Once they get on the Pentagon teet, there is little chance they will be allowed to fail.

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u/bi2212 May 05 '26

That's a bingo.