> The subscription play really does feel like a bait and switch lock-in: "we can focus less on the harness because people with subscriptions need to use it, and focus on growth."

Of course it is and they're not hiding it. Paying 200$ a month for the equivalent of maybe 2000$ is no secret. Theyre at the frontier of the models and they need to stay there to stay relevant. Otherwise they will fall like the majority of these "AI" companies will when the bubble bursts.