The Hidden Costs of Cloud Lock-In for Enterprise AI

In this episode of The Cloud Business Podcast, Lucas and Luna unpack the often-overlooked contractual lock-in mechanisms that cloud providers use to keep enterprises tied to their AI platforms. They focus on a specific case: how API-level dependencies on proprietary services like AWS Bedrock and Azure OpenAI create switching costs that far exceed data egress fees. Lucas breaks down the math—how a single inference call can entrench a company's entire ML pipeline—and Luna questions whether the new GPU availability guarantees in contracts actually reduce risk or deepen dependency. The hosts also discuss the emergence of open-source alternatives and regulatory scrutiny from the FTC and European Commission. A must-listen for any CTO or cloud architect evaluating AI infrastructure strategy in mid-2026. #CloudLockIn #EnterpriseAI #AWSBedrock #AzureOpenAI #GoogleCloud #AISwitchingCosts #InferenceCosts #GPUCloud #OpenSourceAI #APIDependency #CloudContracts #FTC #EuropeanCommission #VendorLockIn #MultiCloud #Business #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo