You just made me wonder if part of the buy-up of RAM by OpenAI and other spend on GPUs and datacenters is literally trying to weaken the value proposition of open weight models.
Not just against open weight models and not just on hardware I think. Also on token subsidies etc. OpenAI and Anthropic both seem to be aiming to outspend everyone else, so that they can be the last ones standing. It is a risky move, especially since everyone else includes Google and Microsoft, players that have both existing surplus cashflow, solid warchests, and excellent distribution channels. But all outcomes are open still...
Yes people were saying that since a year ago when Altman's deals with the memory companies were first announced.
They are absolutely trying to deny their competitors necessary hardware, or at least drive up their costs substantially. And users running local models are, well, not not competitors ...