The AI future demands a democratized cloud

Generative AI is completely transforming the way we build, use and even think about technology. Recent advancements have ignited a new era of innovation, one that McKinsey predicts could provide a $4.4 trillion jolt to the global economy.

The next great AI product could come from anyone, anywhere, and change everyone’s lives. Yet, a handful of Big Tech companies in the United States still control much of the world’s cloud computing infrastructure. These hyperscalers embody the ethos of Silicon Valley with their ambitious goals and aggressive strategies. They’re territorial and competitive and, while that can lead to exceptional service for some customers, it can jeopardize others.

These companies’ cloud supremacy is stifling innovation. By making developers increasingly dependent on their services, they command an unfair share of the market, shutting out smaller cloud startups that often provide more agile, affordable solutions.

If we want to truly unlock the transformative potential of AI, we need to promote a more democratic cloud: one where developers have the freedom to choose their vendors and compose the ideal cloud infrastructure for their goals. This will promote interoperability, streamline the application development lifecycle and ultimately lead to better-performing AI products and services.

The traditional Hyperscalers

The Big Three – Microsoft Azure, AWS and Google Cloud – were once the Only Three. As recently as eight years ago, these providers were virtually the sole option for any organization working in the cloud.

The environment has since changed rapidly. People say…