Google just committed $40 billion to Anthropic. That's not a typo. $40,000,000,000. And my first thought wasn't "great, more AI investment." It was: what happens to my workflow when the investor wants a return? Let me ask you something speculative. The hypothetical that keeps me up Imagine it's 2020. You built your entire development workflow around a single AI subscription. You've trained yourself on its quirks, its strengths, its specific way of handling code review. Then the company that owns it gets a $40B check from one of the largest advertising corporations on the planet. Do you keep building on it? Or do you quietly start evaluating alternatives? What $40B actually buys Here's what I know about how large corporate investments in AI companies tend to play out: First 12-18 months : Everything stays the same. The PR is excellent. Month 18-36 : Pricing "adjustments" for enterprise. Free tiers shrink. Year 3+ : The product roadmap starts reflecting the investor's strategic interests, not yours.…