AI Vendor Lock-In
Definition
AI Vendor Lock-In is the dependency pattern that emerges when an enterprise's AI capabilities are tied to a specific vendor's platform, data, or services, making switching prohibitively expensive or operationally impossible.
Why it matters
The business case for AI Vendor Lock-In.
AI vendor lock-in is becoming the next major enterprise risk. Pricing power, capability dependency, and exit cost all compound over time. Sovereignty is the architectural answer.
Go deeper
Field Notes on AI Vendor Lock-In.
Related terms in AI Governance & Sovereignty
AI Governance Framework
An AI Governance Framework is the operational system, not the policy document, that makes AI decisions auditable, compliant, and accountable. It includes data governance, model governance, decision governance, incident governance, and compliance governance.
AI Sovereignty
AI Sovereignty is the principle that an organization should own and control its AI systems, data, and intellectual property, not rent them from a vendor. Sovereignty spans data, model weights, infrastructure, and operational knowledge.
AI Compliance
AI Compliance is the practice of ensuring that AI systems meet applicable regulatory, legal, and industry-specific requirements, including the EU AI Act, GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, and sector-specific frameworks like model risk management in financial services.
Model Risk Management
Model Risk Management (MRM) is the financial services discipline of identifying, measuring, monitoring, and controlling the risks introduced by predictive and AI models. SR 11-7 in the U.S. and similar frameworks globally formalize MRM requirements.
Data Lineage
Data Lineage is the documented record of where data comes from, how it has been transformed, and where it is used, including by AI systems. Complete data lineage is foundational to AI governance and compliance.