OpenAI's models are likely to remain the best, but I see open models catching up and becoming "good enough." Why pay for GPT-4 when I can run a model locally for free? (Barring the initial capital cost of a GPU; and not even this if you're, say, using a Macbook)
So grandparent's argument makes even less sense as search should also be fungible but it isn't when Google still provides the best search product and has since it started. If OpenAI can maintain that lead and continue to ship improvements that continue to push their peak higher, most people will not pay for anything less even when that price is free.
I would like LLaMa to be more local, responsive and private rather than more intelligent; it is good enough in that regard.
For assistance, chatgpt is the best but llama is more than adequate.
For code generation they all suck, chatgpt 4 before they nerfed it was good.
I use codellama phind locally
Could I get my employer to pay for it if all free options disappeared? Probably, but I don't have to while they exist.