Two typical ways companies charge for AI:
- Consumption pricing — you use an agent, you pay per use. Transparent, fair, expected.
- Subscription inflation — ‘features’ get quietly baked in, then cited as justification for price increases you never agreed to.
The first is fine. The second is the rort.
The pattern:
- Company adds small AI enhancements you never requested (assistants, inline helpers, suggestions)
- These present as goodwill – ‘we’re improving the product’
- Price increase arrives, justified by the ‘significant AI investment and added value’
- You’re now paying more for features you didn’t ask for and probably don’y even use
The issue: consumption pricing gives you control. Subscription inflation doesn’t. You can opt out of agents. You can’t opt out of a price hike.
