Everyone loves shouting about “AI innovation,” but here’s the part no one wants to admit:
Most AI startups aren’t building anything new.
They’re just taking someone else’s model, adding a shiny interface, and calling it a revolution.
It’s like buying instant noodles, putting them in a bowl, and bragging that you’re a chef.
Behind the scenes, the pattern is the same:
Download a pre-trained model
Call an API
Make a website
Raise millions
Pretend you’re the next big thing
Meanwhile, the real engineering happens in the companies building the actual models. Everyone else is basically remixing the same tool with different marketing.
The truth hurts, but it’s simple:
Innovation isn’t the problem. Imitation is.
We don’t need another “AI note-taker,” “AI assistant,” or “AI productivity guru” pretending to be groundbreaking.
We need products that do more than slap the word “AI” on top of a UI and hope no one notices the backend belongs to someone else.
And yes, these startups can still succeed — but only if they stop hiding behind buzzwords and start solving real problems.
Because at some point, users will realize they’ve been paying premium rates for what is basically… a very enthusiastic middleman.
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