Tech Brew Ride Home · Tuesday, September 29, 2026
The increasing interchangeability of AI models raises questions about the long-term business value of companies like Anthropic and OpenAI, with some arguing that 'intelligence' is becoming a commodity. The ease of switching between models, such as Claude and GPT, means the cost of switching is minimal. This dynamic could impact investor sentiment, especially if AI capabilities continue to commoditize, potentially affecting the valuation of future IPOs.
“What do both Anthropic and Open AI sell fundamentally? They sell intelligence. And you know how people have whispered for years that intelligence is likely to become a commodity?”
“I mean, if Claude goes down or the latest model sucks, I can just fire up OpenAI and point it at my projects and keep going. Nothing changes. The cost of switching to whatever the best intelligence is at any given moment is basically nothing.”
“Once investors internalize the fact that intelligence, the main product Anthropic and OpenAI offer, is a commodity, one wonders how they will feel about them as businesses.”