This article highlights how the cost of AI, exemplified by ChatGPT, is disproportionately higher in developing countries compared to wealthier nations, creating a significant access gap. It details the real-world cost of $20/month in terms of rent, salaries, or basic goods across several countries producing the most developers.
This article critiques Big Tech's uniform $20/month AI subscription pricing, revealing it as a significant 'productivity tax' for developers in developing nations. It highlights how this model, tailored for Western salaries, creates substantial economic disparity in global AI access.
ChatGPT Plus costs N32,000/month in Nigeria, an amount disproportionately expensive compared to local salaries, creating a "two-tier AI world." This pricing, optimized for the US market, neglects the economic realities of Nigerian developers, prompting them to seek cheaper alternatives.
This article criticizes the high pricing of advanced AI models like Claude Opus and ChatGPT, highlighting their unaffordability for developers outside high-income countries. It contrasts the minimal financial impact for US developers with the significant burden on those in nations like India and Nigeria, advocating for more accessible AI solutions.