SMRTR AIJun 2, 2026Daily.dev

AI Doesn't Have ROI

SMRTR summary

AI companies have deliberately hidden the true cost of their products by subsidizing subscriptions, making users believe AI is affordable when it isn't. Now that enterprises are switching to token-based billing, companies are experiencing sticker shock — one accidentally spent $500 million in a month. Unlike the Dot Com Bubble, which left behind useful infrastructure, AI data centers are expensive to build and operate, serving almost no other purpose, with no clear path to profitability.

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