“The key question for the future is not what AI will do, but who will own it.” - Yuval Noah Harari, Historian
Free, Free, Free
Over recent months, global AI giants like OpenAI, Google, and Perplexity have offered premium versions of their tools free to Indian users. This wave began with Airtel and Perplexity’s partnership, soon followed by Google’s Gemini Pro deal with Jio, and OpenAI’s ChatGPT Plus free rollout. While these moves seem generous, the long-term implications go beyond freebies.
Hooking users with free AI
The strategy mirrors classic consumer psychology: offer something valuable for free, create dependency, and later monetize. Analysts suggest this “AI sampling” phase is designed to make users accustomed to premium AI experiences, ensuring they become future paying customers once the trial phase ends.
India’s lure for global AI
India’s attraction lies in its vast data wealth and youthful, tech-hungry user base. The enormous volume of digital interactions in India fuels AI model training, helping global firms refine their systems. For these companies, India is not just a market, it’s a massive data generator critical for AI growth.
The missing local ecosystem
Despite the boom, India still lacks strong homegrown AI platforms. While Big Tech dominates with products like Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity, Indian equivalents are rare. This dependence on foreign technology deepens digital colonialism and makes indigenous innovation harder. The risk is real, and the risk is here.
The bigger question
AI’s free access today may shape the future of who controls its intelligence tomorrow. If local innovation does not rise soon, India’s data could remain the raw material powering global AI empires.
Summary
Big Tech’s free AI offerings in India are less about generosity and more about market capture and data acquisition. Without domestic AI development, India risks becoming a user rather than a creator in the global AI hierarchy.
Food for thought
When AI learns from us for free, who truly profits, users or the machines’ makers?
AI concept to learn: Digital slavery
Digital slavery is the exploitation and control of individuals through technology. It involves dependency on digital systems, manipulation by algorithms, surveillance capitalism, and loss of autonomy due to data harvesting or AI-driven labor. People become products or tools within digital ecosystems, trapped by convenience, misinformation, or economic pressures in an invisible system of control.
[The Billion Hopes Research Team shares the latest AI updates for learning and awareness. Various sources are used. All copyrights acknowledged. This is not a professional, financial, personal or medical advice. Please consult domain experts before making decisions. Feedback welcome!]
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