AI's Affordability Crisis

# Summary AI platforms like OpenAI and Anthropic have been heavily subsidizing their services to drive adoption—with users able to burn $8,000-$14,000 in tokens monthly on $200 subscriptions, representing subsidies of up to 70 times the actual cost. OpenAI's 2025 financials revealed the unsustainability of this model: the company generated $13.07 billion in revenue against $34 billion in costs, resulting in a $38.5 billion net loss, while spending 44% of revenue on sales and marketing. As the initial "free trial" strategy fails to convert users into paying customers at profitable rates, the industry faces a critical affordability crisis with no clear path to profitability.