Big Tech’s biggest nightmare? Decentralized AI | Opinion

Today, consumers have grown accustomed to instant gratification. They expect to get what they want and when they want it. With the rise of on-demand services, convenience has become a non-negligible expectation, and the notion of waiting or being restricted by outdated systems is becoming a thing of the past. In 2025, flexibility and immediacy are non-negotiables. 

However, organizations and individuals leveraging artificial intelligence find themselves at the mercy of centralized providers, mainly the “magnificent seven,” that dominate the market. These include major players like Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft, who provide critical infrastructure and resources to power AI operations.

Just this week, these same companies announced plans to invest $320 billion in AI, a 28 percent increase over last year’s spending. While many might have expected China’s DeepSeek, an AI platform that rose to fame after proving to cost a fraction of what its competitors charge, to prompt CEOs to rethink their budgets, the opposite has happened.

As Big Tech continues to make significant financial investments, smaller businesses still remain dependent on a few centralized providers. They have little to no choice but to rely on a handful of companies that dominate access to these essential resources needed to power their operations. 

One of the most pressing concerns when depending on Big Tech is the potential for providers to restrict access to services or, worse, shut down operations without notice. For instance, a quick search for “Azure down” brings up thousands of results, like countless Reddit pages highlighting how often users encounter disruption. Microsoft even dedicated a page on its site to provide real-time service status updates. 

Such a lack of control over critical infrastructure can be devastating. In these situations, businesses are left vulnerable without access to essential systems, which could result in operational disruptions and possibly financial implications. 

As companies consolidate power over AI, the risk of data breaches and geographical tensions rises. A company relying solely on a US provider for its AI needs may be vulnerable to tensions between the US and other countries like China. A sudden shift in foreign policy could restrict access to AI tools, services, or even data. These disruptions could leave businesses scrambling to adapt to new compliance requirements, potentially impeding their operations with only a moment’s notice. 

While some projects dream of being able to invest in the computing power that runs advanced AI models, the reality is the price tag for hardware, like advanced graphic processing units, can run into millions of dollars. 

This growing reliance on centralized infrastructure has prompted a search for alternatives that can break down the monopoly of cloud giants. Just as decentralized finance has opened access to investing outside traditional financial services, decentralized technologies can give businesses more control over the tools and services needed to power AI.  

One solution is Exabits, a company that has introduced the concept of decentralized AI. The project is focused on democratizing access to AI by supplying computing power and resources to projects throughout the growing ecosystem. After raising $15 million in seed funding, Exabits has integrated 4,000 NVIDIA H200 GPUs into its network with Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) capabilities. This integration guarantees the highest level of security, ensuring that computations remain tamper-proof and sensitive data is protected.

These high-performance, AI-ready GPUs allow Exabits to address the growing demand for some of the most ambitious projects in the market. The company has already established strategic partnerships with numerous projects across sectors, solidifying its position as a key player in the AI space. 

As AI grows, projects can no longer afford to be at the mercy of the world’s largest tech giants. The future of AI depends on expanding access, and without this shift, we risk remaining reliant on a handful of dominant players, leaving projects confined and vulnerable to their control. Only by decentralizing AI can we break free from monopolistic control and create an inclusive future where opportunities are within everyone’s reach.