An opinion writer argues that individuals should capitalize on today's cheap AI compute offerings while they remain affordable, because companies will eventually raise prices.

What happened: The author describes how Microsoft's GitHub Copilot offered inexpensive access to powerful AI models at $10/month with high token allowances and few rate limits. Microsoft recently overhauled the pricing model to a pay-per-token structure, prompting the author to cancel their subscription after using the cheaper period to build a local speech-recognition project called Listenr.

Why it matters: Large tech companies are currently competing on AI offerings and absorbing significant costs, but this pricing advantage will not last indefinitely. The author sees this as a temporary window—similar to how Netflix and Spotify eventually raised prices—where individuals can leverage expensive computational resources at a fraction of their true retail cost without compromising privacy or agency.

What to watch: The author's broader point is that the current market environment represents a transitional phase. Those who use cheap compute access strategically now—to learn, build useful projects, or develop models—may achieve results that would be cost-prohibitive once pricing normalizes, making the timing of adoption a key factor in what projects become feasible.