The CTO and co-founder of Enduring Connection AI explains how artificial intelligence is reshaping software ownership, challenging subscription-based business models, and opening new opportunities for entrepreneurs.
By Chris Caprice | Industry Idols
For decades, businesses have operated under a familiar technological reality: If you need sophisticated software, you pay a company for access to it.
From Adobe’s creative applications to Salesforce’s customer management systems, subscription-based software has become an essential part of modern business. But artificial intelligence is beginning to challenge the assumptions that made this model so successful.
What if businesses could build their own software instead of renting it?
What if entrepreneurs could create customized applications using natural-language instructions rather than spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on development?
And what happens to the software industry when the ability to create technology becomes more accessible than ever before?
For Paul David Carpenter, CTO and co-founder of Enduring Connection AI, these questions represent more than a hypothetical future. They point toward a fundamental transformation in how businesses create, own, and use technology.
Carpenter is an AI entrepreneur, technologist, and professional magician whose perspective brings together technological innovation and human creativity.
In his recent essay, AI Just Put the Entire Software Industry on Notice. SaaS May Never Be the Same, Carpenter examined how emerging AI coding agents and open-source development tools could disrupt the economics of software development.
His argument is not that established software companies will disappear overnight. Rather, he believes artificial intelligence is beginning to eliminate barriers that have historically made software development expensive, specialized, and inaccessible to many entrepreneurs.
Industry Idols spoke with Carpenter about the future of software ownership, the industries most vulnerable to disruption, and why the next generation of successful entrepreneurs may build their own technology rather than depend entirely on subscription platforms.
The Moment AI Changed the Software Conversation
Industry Idols: What inspired you to write your article? Was there a particular development in AI that made you realize the software industry could be facing a major shift?
Paul David Carpenter:
I’ve been watching artificial intelligence evolve for years, but what really caught my attention recently was the emergence of AI-powered development tools and open-source projects that are beginning to make sophisticated software creation accessible to virtually anyone.
We’re entering an era where someone can describe what they want in plain English and have artificial intelligence build it.
Think about the implications of that.
For decades, software companies have operated on a relatively simple business model. They spend millions developing software, protect that software as intellectual property, and charge customers monthly or annually for access.
But what happens when an entrepreneur can tell an AI system, “Build me something that performs the same functions as this $200-a-month software package,” and the AI can produce a working alternative?
That changes the economics of the entire industry.
As the CTO and co-founder of Enduring Connection AI, I’m watching this transformation from the inside. We’re building technology today that would have required enormous development teams and millions of dollars just a few years ago.
What inspired my article wasn’t simply one GitHub repository or one breakthrough. It was the realization that we’re approaching a point where the ability to create software may become more valuable than the software itself.
That’s a fundamental change in how technology works.
From Renting Software to Owning It
Industry Idols: Do you believe AI will eventually allow small businesses and entrepreneurs to build their own software instead of paying for multiple subscriptions?
Paul David Carpenter:
I don’t just believe it will happen. I believe we’re already seeing the beginning of it.
Consider the average small business.
They might pay for customer relationship management software, accounting software, graphic design tools, scheduling applications, marketing automation, website management, and a dozen other services.
Individually, those subscriptions might seem reasonable. Collectively, they can represent thousands of dollars every year.
Now imagine an AI system that understands your business.
You tell it, “I need a customer database, an automated appointment scheduler, an invoicing system, and a marketing dashboard.”
Instead of subscribing to four different platforms, your AI builds an integrated system designed specifically for your company.
And here’s where things become really interesting.
That system doesn’t necessarily have to remain static. Your AI can continue improving it as your business evolves.
Need a new feature? Ask for it.
Need to integrate another service? Describe what you want.
Need to automate a process that currently requires three employees and five software subscriptions? Your AI can help design that workflow.
There will still be costs associated with computing, security, maintenance, and specialized services. But the traditional relationship between software companies and their customers is going to change dramatically.
We’re moving from renting software to potentially owning software that was created specifically for us.
And I think that’s one of the most important economic developments artificial intelligence will bring to small businesses.
Which Industries Will AI Disrupt First?
Industry Idols: Which industries do you believe will experience the greatest disruption as AI-powered software development becomes more accessible?
Paul David Carpenter:
I believe the first industries to experience significant disruption will be those that primarily sell access to relatively standardized digital functionality.
Customer relationship management platforms are an obvious example.
Project management software is another.
Graphic design, marketing automation, website development, basic business analytics, scheduling systems, and certain accounting workflows are all vulnerable to disruption.
But I think people are missing the bigger picture.
It’s not just individual software products that are going to change. It’s the entire concept of software as a service.
For the past twenty years, we’ve watched businesses move from purchasing software outright to paying monthly subscriptions for access.
Artificial intelligence creates the possibility of reversing part of that trend.
Instead of paying indefinitely for access to a tool, companies may increasingly commission or generate software they actually own.
Now, that doesn’t mean every software company disappears. Enterprise security, regulatory compliance, specialized infrastructure, and complex integrations still require significant expertise.
But it does mean the barriers to entry are collapsing.
A small company with three talented people and sophisticated AI tools may be able to compete in markets that previously required hundreds of employees.
And that is extraordinarily disruptive.
The next generation of billion-dollar companies may not need thousands of employees. They may need a handful of exceptional people who understand how to orchestrate artificial intelligence.
Can Adobe, Microsoft, and Salesforce Adapt?
Industry Idols: What do you think established companies like Adobe, Microsoft, and Salesforce will need to do to remain competitive?
Paul David Carpenter:
I think these companies face a fascinating challenge because the very technology they’re investing billions of dollars into developing could undermine some of their existing business models.
Take Adobe.
Historically, if you wanted professional creative capabilities, you needed specialized software and the expertise to operate it.
But when someone can describe an image, a video, an animation, or an entire marketing campaign and have artificial intelligence produce it, the value proposition changes.
The question becomes less about which buttons you know how to push and more about the quality of the result you can produce.
Microsoft and Salesforce face similar challenges in different markets.
I believe established companies will need to transition from selling access to software toward selling intelligence, reliability, infrastructure, integration, security, and measurable business outcomes.
Their competitive advantage can’t simply be that they have more features.
AI can increasingly reproduce functionality.
Their advantage must come from delivering something that isn’t easily replicated: trusted infrastructure, proprietary data obtained with permission, deep industry expertise, regulatory compliance, and exceptional customer experiences.
And I think there’s another important distinction.
You can reproduce software functionality without reproducing the company behind it.
A competitor might build something that resembles Photoshop, but that doesn’t automatically recreate Adobe’s ecosystem, professional workflows, intellectual property, or customer relationships.
The same principle applies to Microsoft and Salesforce.
These companies aren’t necessarily going to disappear.
But I believe they’re going to have to reinvent themselves, and some may discover that their greatest competition comes from companies that didn’t even exist a year earlier.
Why Entrepreneurs Should Start Building Now
Industry Idols: If you were advising an entrepreneur today, how would you recommend they prepare for the changes AI will bring over the next three to five years?
Paul David Carpenter:
My first piece of advice would be simple.
Stop thinking of artificial intelligence as a chatbot.
Start thinking of it as an entirely new workforce and development infrastructure.
Most people are still using AI to write emails, summarize documents, or generate social media posts.
Those are useful applications, but they’re barely scratching the surface.
I would encourage entrepreneurs to learn how AI agents work, how open-source language models operate, how software can be generated through natural language, and how multiple AI systems can collaborate to accomplish complex tasks.
Second, I would encourage them to rethink the concept of ownership.
If your business depends entirely on software subscriptions controlled by other companies, you’re vulnerable to changes in pricing, policies, and availability.
Where practical, begin exploring systems that give you greater control over your data, workflows, and intellectual property.
Third, I would tell entrepreneurs to stop competing solely on technology.
Technology is becoming increasingly accessible.
The real competitive advantages will be creativity, trust, relationships, proprietary knowledge, execution, and the ability to solve meaningful problems.
That’s something I’ve learned throughout my career as both a magician and a technology entrepreneur.
In magic, the secret isn’t what makes an illusion extraordinary.
It’s what you do with the secret.
Two magicians can know exactly the same method and produce completely different experiences.
Artificial intelligence is going to work much the same way.
Millions of people will have access to incredibly powerful tools.
But the people who understand how to combine those tools with imagination, human understanding, and a genuine purpose will create the most value.
Finally, I would encourage entrepreneurs to start building now.
Don’t wait until AI becomes perfect.
Experiment. Create. Make mistakes. Learn.
At Enduring Connection AI, we’re exploring how artificial intelligence can help preserve human stories, memories, personalities, and connections across generations.
For me, that’s an example of what this technology should ultimately accomplish.
Not simply replacing existing products, but creating possibilities that previously didn’t exist.
I don’t believe AI will eliminate the need for entrepreneurs. I believe it will eliminate many of the barriers that have prevented people from becoming entrepreneurs.
And when that happens, we’re going to witness an explosion of innovation unlike anything we’ve experienced before.
The future doesn’t belong exclusively to the companies that own the software. It belongs to the people who know what to create.
The Future of Software Belongs to Those Who Create
Carpenter’s perspective raises a larger question about where the technology industry is heading.
For years, software companies have competed by offering more features, more integrations, and more sophisticated digital platforms. But as artificial intelligence makes it easier to develop customized applications, some businesses may begin asking whether they need to continue paying for standardized solutions.
The shift will not happen overnight.
Security, maintenance, compatibility, infrastructure, and regulatory requirements will remain important. Established technology companies also retain significant advantages through customer relationships, established ecosystems, and operational experience.
Yet the opportunity emerging for entrepreneurs is difficult to ignore.
Artificial intelligence is beginning to transform software creation from an activity reserved primarily for trained developers into one increasingly accessible through natural-language instructions and automated development tools.
For Carpenter, that transformation is about more than reducing subscription costs.
It is about giving individuals and businesses greater control over the technologies that shape their futures.
And as his work with Enduring Connection AI illustrates, the potential extends beyond replacing existing software. AI could also enable entirely new products, experiences, and ways of preserving human connection.
The future of software may not be defined solely by the companies that build the most powerful platforms.
It may also be shaped by the entrepreneurs who understand what to create with them.
About Paul David Carpenter
Paul David Carpenter is an AI entrepreneur, technologist, professional magician, and CTO and co-founder of Enduring Connection AI. His work explores the possibilities of artificial intelligence, including technology designed to preserve human stories, memories, personalities, and connections across generations.
Original essay: AI Just Put the Entire Software Industry on Notice. SaaS May Never Be the Same (October 9, 2026).
Original technical reference: Universal Modder, https://github.com/rehan-remade/universal-modder
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