AI Labs 2026: You Pay for the Kitchen, Not the Meal
gerardsans · x · 2026-10-12
Developer gerardsans critiques the 2026 AI lab business model with a kitchen metaphor:
- People want the meal; labs sell access to the kitchen at a premium
- Demos are curated ready meals; what ships is a meal kit that still requires your labor
- Agents loop, hit dead ends, and retry ten times before quitting — the dead ends, half-chopped onions, and burnt pans are all billed by the token
- Like ordering a burger and fries: the fries never arrive, the re-ask is on the bill, and the burger is still wrong. "The bill is not for the meal. The bill is for the kitchen."
The hype promised a banquet; you got an apron and a seat in cooking school. Best case you get a meal; worst case you're confused, hungry, and poorer.
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