As AI becomes the backbone of modern life, a silent power shift is underway. A handful of Big Tech giants are tightening their grip, turning the AI landscape into an unsafe and unregulated fight for dominance—where our data isn’t truly ours, choices are limited, and innovation is controlled from the top down. If this trend continues, we are looking at a future where AI serves corporate interests over the public good, and where data sovereignty is a privilege, not a right.

1. A “Winner Takes All” AI Race

AI is no longer just an industry—it’s an arms race. The companies with the biggest budgets, fastest models, and largest user bases are gaining an (almost) unstoppable advantage. Though the industry may appear vibrant and competitive, the concentration of power is undeniable. Even small startups rely heavily on the established giants for computing infrastructure and market reach. 

Here are the main reasons small companies can’t compete:

• Compute Domination: OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Anthropic, and other tech giants are racing ahead because they control immense computational resources. The cost of training state-of-the-art AI models has skyrocketed*, making it impossible for smaller companies to compete.
• User Data Control: AI models become more powerful with access to vast amounts of user data. Big Tech monopolizes this resource, collecting and processing user interactions at an unprecedented scale. You might have heard the phrase “data is the new currency”. With AI, data is an even more important resource which tech giants are fighting for at the expense of the consumer.
• Influence over regulations: These companies shape AI policy in their favor, making it harder for open-source and independent players to compete. In 2023, OpenAI and Google actively lobbied for AI regulations that would benefit them while increasing compliance burdens for smaller competitors​. This, plus the recent Stargate project, set to invest at least $500 billion into AI innovations and infrastructure, all paints a picture of Big Tech dominating the field.

2. The Risks of Corporate-Controlled AI

With AI shaping everything from business operations to media narratives, entrusting it to a handful of corporate giants introduces severe risks:

• Manipulation Over Truth: AI models trained by Big Tech are optimized for engagement, often prioritizing sensationalism over factual accuracy​. This has already been observed in certain social media recommendation algorithms, and the same risks apply to AI-generated content.
• Security Concerns: Many proprietary AI models operate as black boxes, meaning users have no insight into how their data is being processed or stored. Recent AI data leaks highlight the dangers of entrusting sensitive information to opaque systems​.
• Vendor Lock-in: Businesses integrating proprietary AI solutions risk being locked into an ecosystem where costs and dependencies spiral out of control. OpenAI and Google have already begun restricting API access to force businesses into expensive subscription models​.

This is a real problem.

3. The Open-Source Alternative

Fortunately, not everyone is standing by while Big Tech establishes control. The open-source community is stepping up, offering viable, independent alternatives to proprietary AI systems. The development of China’s new open-source model DeepSeek R1 has shifted the power dynamic quite a bit. This new AI agent has a comparable performance to OpenAI’s latest and greatest on most benchmarks, while costing a fraction of the price to train and develop. This is big news for the open-source community.   

Open-source AI ensures that businesses and governments worldwide are not forced into dependence on companies that may not have their best interests at heart. It creates a more competitive, decentralized AI ecosystem, where innovation is not dictated only by a handful of mega-corporations.

At Stekz, we believe in this vision of AI—one where security, transparency, and control are non-negotiable. While DeepSeek’s release is a massive leap in the right direction, there are still privacy concerns surrounding it, such as censorship by the Chinese government.  That’s why we are actively taking steps towards data-sovereign Intelligent Automation, and thankfully we are not alone.

4. Introducing Stekz + Bossers & Cnossen: A New Era of Secure AI

To offset the dangerous imbalance of power in AI and support open-source alternatives, we have partnered with Bossers & Cnossen (B&C), a leading Dutch IT hardware provider with over 35 years of experience in high-performance computing (HPC), IT infrastructure, and cybersecurity​. B&C specializes in providing secure and scalable IT environments for anything from SMEs to government institutions. 

Pair that up with Stekz, an international leader in Intelligent Automation with decades of experience in AI in our team, and you get a very powerful (and secure) combination. Combining our expertise in software, with B&C’s hardware know-how provides organizations with Intelligent Automation solutions with complete data sovereignty. By utilizing MyStekz, the ultimate Intelligent Automation platform on hardware whose location and management are clear, companies can confidently implement AI technology without compromising data privacy and compliance. By fine-tuning open-source software and LLM models such as Mistral, Llama, QWEN, and most recently DeepSeek on local hardware, a tailor-made solution can be achieved that guarantees 100% data sovereignty.

5. What This Means for You

1. AI Without Compromise – Businesses can leverage cutting-edge automation while keeping their data secure, private, and compliant with international regulations.
2. Full Control Over Your AI – Our solutions don’t lock you into Big Tech ecosystems. We use open-source models and fine-tune them to your exact needs.
3. Security and Compliance First – With data sovereignty at the core, our AI solutions ensure your information stays within national borders and meets the highest regulatory standards (AVG, NIS2, eIDAS, and more).
4. Future-Proof AI Strategies – By combining Bossers & Cnossen’s hardware expertise with Stekz’s automation power, businesses can implement custom AI solutions that are transparent, ethical, and future-ready.

6. The Future is Open, Secure, and Intelligent

The battle for AI dominance is far from over, and the choices we make today will shape the future of business, privacy, and security for years to come. The open-source movement—and partnerships like Stekz + Bossers & Cnossen—offer a real alternative to the monopolized AI landscape.

If you’re looking for AI that works for you, not just for Big Tech, let’s talk. Secure, scalable, and independent AI is within your reach.

🚀 Schedule a free demo today and take control of your AI future!