ZenitData: The AI SaaS Shift Is a Continuous Baseline Inflation Problem — Each AI Capability Wave Resets What Customers Expect Included at No Cost

ZenitData·medium signal

ZenitData's analysis distinguishes between the prior 'AI feature wave' (SaaS vendors adding AI to existing products) and the current business model reset where each new AI capability raises customer expectations for what should be included at the base price, permanently deflating premium feature pricing. The mechanism is baseline inflation: today's differentiated AI capability becomes tomorrow's table stakes, eliminating the pricing power that traditional SaaS built over a decade. The conclusion identifies three defensible moat types: non-replicable workflow integration depth, proprietary data loops that improve with usage, and network effects — all other SaaS moats are rated as susceptible to the inflation cycle.