Daniel Lemire: AI Is Eroding Software Moats, Forcing Vendors to Compete for Users
lemire · x · 2026-09-30
Computer scientist Daniel Lemire argues on X that while people often say Anthropic and OpenAI "have no moat," the deeper truth is that AI itself is eroding many software moats.
His core point: software is becoming far more fluid — moving data from one system to another is much easier now, weakening lock-in.
Even users who never touch AI will benefit, he writes, because providers will be forced to stay on their toes as switching costs collapse. A concise take on AI's impact on software industry competition.
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