Everyone expected the AI explosion to spark a thriving ecosystem—dozens, maybe hundreds of serious players carving out their niches. That's not what's happening. The wealth? It's funneling right back to the usual suspects. Google. Microsoft. The mega-corporations that already own the infrastructure.

Sure, there are startups. Plenty of noise. But when you follow the money, the pattern's clear: this wave isn't democratizing anything. It's reinforcing the moat around tech's old guard. Same gatekeepers, shinier tools. The competition we were promised? Turns out it was always a mirage.