Unpopular opinion: AI should cost less than your coffee, not more than your rent

There's a thread on HN right now titled 'AI should elevate your thinking, not replace it' with 224 comments and counting.

Everyone's debating whether AI makes us smarter or dumber. Whether it elevates or replaces.

But nobody's asking the more basic question: who actually gets access to AI in the first place?

The access problem nobody talks about

ChatGPT Plus: $20/month.

Claude Pro: $20/month.

Gemini Advanced: $20/month.

In the US, that's a rounding error on a developer's salary. Two beers at a bar.

In Nigeria, that's ₦32,000/month. That's 3-4 days of median income.

In Bangladesh, that's BDT 2,200/month. That's roughly a week's groceries for a family.

In the Philippines, that's ₱1,120/month.…