I’ve been side-eyeing the internet lately. You know? Like when you start realizing that restaurant you’ve always loved is now cutting corners. The food is still mostly okay-ish. But you’re suddenly very aware something feels different.
Subscriptions have multiplied quietly. Streaming services, productivity tools, storage, apps that used to be free and now have multiple pricing tiers. Individually, none of them would really make a dent. Collectively, they’ve turned your digital space into a monthly invoice that’s really starting to affect your financial health.
And then there’s AI. Which arrived with enormous promises and so much hype! And hey, don’t get me wrong, I find AI hugely useful sometimes. But something about the whole ecosystem just feels… I don’t know… off. Like we’re all playing a game with no real rules, and the chips are free for now, but you just know someone, somewhere, is keeping count.
I don’t think I’m being paranoid.
If any of this resonates with you, I want to point you to two people who’ve been thinking about this a lot lately:
Ed Zitron writes about the AI industry with a level of skepticism that’s refreshingly honest. He may come across as something of a doomer at times, but someone needs to ask the uncomfortable questions about what happens when the subsidized era we’re currently enjoying ends.
And he does just that.
If you’ve ever wondered whether the AI boom is as solid as it’s presented, he’s worth your time. I definitely recommend you check out his newsletter Where’s Your Ed At.
Cory Doctorow gave us the word enshittification, the pattern by which platforms start great, then slowly degrade as they prioritize extracting value over providing it.
He’s been mapping this dynamic for years, across streaming, social media, and the broader subscription economy. If you want a framework for why everything digital feels like it’s getting worse even as it gets more expensive, Doctorow is your person.
Now, mind you, no one is telling you to log off the interwebs forever. Not them, not me. But it helps to have people who are willing to ask: “wait, does this all really make sense?”
I certainly think it’s a reasonable question.