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Firstly understand what is Enshittification?
Enshittification is a word used to describe how good technology platforms slowly become worse over time. In the beginning, a company focuses on making users happy and building trust. But once it becomes popular and powerful, it starts adding more ads, restricting features, and changing rules to earn more money. As profit becomes the main goal, the experience for ordinary users declines. In simple terms, Enshittification means the process of a great product turning bad because greed takes over.
Artificial Intelligence has promised to make life smarter, faster, and more connected. But as it becomes the backbone of search engines, workplaces, and even creativity, experts are beginning to wonder if AI will remain a tool for people or if it will, like so many tech platforms before it, eventually decline in quality and purpose. This growing concern revolves around a concept called “Enshittification,” a blunt but increasingly relevant term coined by technology critic Cory Doctorow. It describes how most digital platforms start out by serving users well, then slowly shift focus toward maximizing profit, overloading users with ads, paywalls, and manipulative design choices until the experience deteriorates. Now, experts fear that AI could follow the same path.
When new technologies emerge, they usually start as revolutions. Google once made the world’s knowledge accessible. Facebook connected distant friends. Amazon redefined convenience. But over time, these platforms evolved not out of innovation alone, but due to business pressure to constantly grow profits. Artificial Intelligence today feels like the next frontier, powerful, intelligent, and full of promise but beneath the surface lies the same risk: who controls it, and who it truly serves. Running large AI models requires immense computing power, data, and money. Only a handful of corporations possess these resources, allowing them to dominate the field. That concentration of control sets the stage for another cycle where users are initially courted, then trapped, and finally monetized.
The real danger is not that AI will turn evil, but that it will turn selfish. As companies race to monetize, the systems we trust could begin to prioritize profit over accuracy or fairness. Subtle changes could emerge in how AI recommends content, products, or information. A chatbot might promote a paid product instead of giving an honest answer. A search assistant could display sponsored results disguised as helpful suggestions. The process would begin quietly, but the effect would be profound. That’s how digital “enshittification” starts by gradually shifting value away from users and toward shareholders.
Unlike social media, AI carries an additional layer of risk because of its opacity. Users cannot easily see how decisions are made or what biases guide them. If algorithms start favoring advertisers, political interests, or commercial partners, the manipulation could remain hidden for years. This lack of transparency makes AI particularly vulnerable to exploitation. Experts argue that to avoid this, governments, developers, and civil society must insist on transparency, ethical frameworks, and clear accountability.
Despite the warning signs, many technologists believe a better path is possible. Open-source models, community-driven research, and stricter regulations could prevent AI from falling into the same trap that consumed earlier tech giants. If developers keep user benefit at the core of innovation, AI can remain a transformative force rather than a manipulative one. The future depends not only on technological progress but also on human integrity. History shows that every major innovation eventually faces a turning point. The question for AI is not whether it will change the world it already has but whether it can resist the same decay that has plagued every platform that came before it. Artificial Intelligence stands at a crossroads between progress and profit. If it avoids the so-called “Enshittification trap,” it could continue empowering people and industries. If not, it may become yet another system that began as a vision of hope and ended as a machine of exploitation.
