Major AI companies are racing to monetize general-purpose AI models, often clashing with their app developer clients. As they expand into application layers, companies like Anthropic and OpenAI implement policies that enable them to disconnect or restrict access to their models for competing app developers, creating a conflict of interest reminiscent of past antitrust issues. This oligopoly is notably dominated by Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google, which together hold a vast majority of the enterprise market for AI. While application developers are at risk of losing essential resources, alternatives exist in lower-cost open-source models from China. The current political climate makes legislative intervention unlikely, leaving developers vulnerable. A proposed solution is the establishment of pro-competition rules to mitigate discrimination in access to AI model services. Given that existing U.S. antitrust laws provide little remedy, the future remains uncertain for AI app developers competing with their model providers.
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