Free and open-source AI models like China's DeepSeek are undercutting paid AI subscriptions, which is bad news for OpenAI and Anthropic and good news for everyday users and small businesses.

• Companies charge users from $20 to $200 a month, while DeepSeek and downloadable open-source models cost almost nothing.
• People can now run these models on their own servers at home or at work without paying the big AI firms at all.
• Calls from AI leaders like Sam Altman to "slow down" AI development are really about protecting their businesses, not public safety.
• Government regulation would build a moat around OpenAI and Anthropic, keeping cheap competitors out.

Outlook: Expect the big AI companies to keep pushing for regulation as free alternatives eat into their paid customer base.