When AI Becomes a Mandatory Add-On:
The Cost of “Innovation” We Didn’t Ask For
In my previous article, I spoke about how AI features are increasingly being inserted into our everyday software - sometimes so prominently that the prompts feel more like ads than helpful tools. But as the months have gone on, the situation has evolved. The issue is no longer just intrusive pop-ups or slow app start-ups.
Artificial Intelligence continues to be integrated into software systems at a rapid pace. In many ways, this is exciting - AI can automate tasks, enhance productivity, and generate creative options faster than ever before.
However, we’re now seeing a new trend: AI being bundled into software subscriptions by default, often with price increases, and in some cases with limited or unclear ability to opt out. For many users and businesses, the experience is starting to feel less like a helpful upgrade and more like being pushed into something they didn’t ask for.
From Optional Feature to Compulsory Subscription Upgrade
Companies like Adobe and Microsoft have recently rolled out new AI-enabled subscription tiers. On the surface, this looks like innovation. But for many customers, the changes weren’t explained clearly, and - more importantly - they weren’t clearly made optional.
In October 2024, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) announced that it had taken Microsoft to court for allegedly misleading millions of Australian customers regarding Microsoft 365 subscription pricing changes.
“The ACCC alleges that Microsoft made false or misleading representations that customers only had two options when their subscription was due to increase - to accept the higher price or to cancel their subscription.”
However, a third option existed: to remain on the existing subscription tier without the new AI features - but this option was not made clear, and was only presented after starting the cancellation process.
You can read the ACCC’s full statement here:
https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/microsoft-in-court-for-allegedly-misleading-millions-of-australians-over-microsoft-365-subscriptions
This case is significant because it highlights a central issue:
AI features are increasingly being bundled in by default, without transparent communication or simple opt-out choices.
This isn’t innovation. This is forced adoption.
Shouldn’t AI Be an Optional Add-On?
In my opinion, yes.
Here’s why:
Benefit of Optional A
Users adopt at their own comfort level
Clear value can be demonstrated
Small businesses can control expenses
Adoption quality increases
Risk of Forced AI Inclusion
Users feel pressured rather than supported
Trust can erode if price increases feel unjustified
Budgeting becomes more difficult and unpredictable
Adoption quantity increases, but engagement decreases
If AI is genuinely valuable, useful, and time-saving, customers will choose it willingly.
Optional adoption encourages:
- ✅ Customer trust
- ✅ Software that meets real needs
- ✅ Fair competition
- ✅ Transparency in pricing
Forced adoption, on the other hand, signals something else:
- The company needs to justify the cost of developing AI tools.
- They want to show rapid uptake numbers to shareholders.
- They want to appear to be leading the AI market, even if users aren’t asking for it.
This feels less like “AI to help you work smarter,” and more like “AI to help us justify our investor pitch deck.”
Is There an Agenda?
Not necessarily a sinister one - but there is a strategic one.
The AI race is like the early social media race:
Whoever controls the most usage, the most data, and the strongest “ecosystem adoption” wins big.
So tech giants are:
- Embedding AI into every corner of their platforms
- Making it the default
- Making opting-out complicated
- And tying pricing to usage, so revenue scales automatically
This isn’t about improving productivity.
This is about owning the next platform shift - and locking users in before they even realise they’ve subscribed to the future.
The Human Side: Choice Still Matters
Most businesses — especially small and medium ones — cannot simply absorb sudden subscription increases. And many users simply don’t need AI functionality for every workflow.
It should be possible to say:
Thanks, but no thanks — not right now.”
The solution is simple:
AI Should Be an Add-On, Not a Default
Let users enable it when they want it.
Let pricing scale when it’s actually used.
Let adoption happen because the tools are valuable, not because they’re unavoidable.
Innovation is powerful.
But innovation without choice becomes coercion.
Where Do We Go From Here?
As AI matures, we will see:
✅ Subscriptions that clearly separate AI from the base product
✅ Pricing models where AI is an add-on, not a default inclusion
✅ Greater regulatory oversight on digital fairness (as already underway)
In the meantime:
- Review subscription emails carefully
- Check invoices for changes
- Watch for auto-upgrades during renewal
- And don’t hesitate to ask providers for downgrade options
You should always have choice in your tools, especially when your costs are affected.
