Written by
Ludovic Dubost
, Founder and CEO
AI is everywhere in SaaS (and practically in our daily life) these days, and let’s be honest – it's not all sunshine and rainbows. Every major platform is rolling out AI-powered features, promising efficiency and smarter automation. And by cost, I mean your data, your privacy, and yes, your wallet.
The real price of AI integration
Running AI isn’t free. It requires powerful servers, data centers, and cloud storage. Companies push these costs onto you by hiking up subscription fees. What’s worse is that many providers bundle these AI features into their plans without giving you the option to stick with a simpler, more affordable version. You end up paying for something you might not even want or use.
No opt-out, no control
Let’s face it: AI tools need access to your emails, documents, and work patterns to work effectively. And opting out? Nearly impossible. This lack of choice not only raises serious privacy concerns, but it also puts you in a position where your digital workspace is controlled by algorithms rather than by you. Software used to be a tool you controlled. Now, it’s starting to dictate your workflow.
Data as a geopolitical pawn
Your data isn’t just a private asset anymore. With AI platforms operating under various national laws and trade agreements, your information can become a bargaining chip on the global stage. Think about the implications: Restrictions or blocks based on political or economic factors can suddenly change how you access services you rely on every day.
AI is taking over SaaS, whether you want it or not
There was a time when AI features were optional. Users could decide whether they wanted an AI-powered assistant or predictive recommendations. Today, if you upgrade your plan, AI is just there, whether you like it or not. This isn’t really about improving productivity; it’s more about justifying higher prices while quietly collecting more of your data. It’s a shift that puts the power firmly in the hands of the providers and strips away your freedom of choice.
Opting out? Not really an option
Canva recently implemented a 300% price hike for its Pro plan, while Microsoft 365 raised prices by 43% for certain subscription tiers, and Google Workspace plans increased by 18%. And what do all these have in common? AI integration.
These price hikes are usually framed as "enhanced capabilities" or "productivity improvements," but there’s rarely an option to stick with a more affordable, AI-free version. That’s a serious challenge for:
- Small businesses operating on tight budgets
- Educational institutions with fixed technology spending
- Non-profit organizations serving communities, that rely on affordable software
For many organizations, this means making a tough choice: absorb the unexpected imposed costs or disrupt established workflows by switching platforms.
Hidden costs beyond money: AI’s sustainability problem
The environmental impact of AI is huge too. Think about how many AI-driven processes work behind the scenes, just for you to be able to write a document, for example:
- Predictive algorithms track and anticipate user behavior.
- Document and email analysis continuously refines "smart" suggestions.
- AI assistants stay active, ready to generate instant responses.
The sustainability impact is often ignored, but it’s a real issue that deserves more attention.
Every one of these processes requires computing power, which consumes energy. That energy demand translates into higher costs, not just for users, but also for the environment, as this background processing also contributes to the growing carbon footprint of digital technologies. Yet sustainability rarely comes up in discussions about AI adoption.
Who’s in control? (Hint: Not the user)
Software used to be a tool. Something that worked the way you told it to. Increasingly, AI is turning that dynamic upside down. Many applications now make decisions for you, often without clear customization options.
Consider these everyday scenarios:
- Your document formatting changes automatically based on AI’s preferences, not yours.
- Your inbox is sorted based on what an algorithm thinks is important.
- Your search results, content recommendations, and even work patterns are subtly shaped by AI-driven suggestions.
Proprietary software companies are pushing AI into every part of their products, but AI should empower users, not limit their choices. The problem today is that AI isn’t being offered as a tool, it’s being imposed as the new standard. This fundamentally changes the power dynamic between users and the platforms they rely on for daily work.
When users can’t easily turn these features off, software stops being a tool and starts becoming an environment that shapes behavior. For organizations with specific compliance needs or unique workflows, this lack of control can create operational challenges that extend beyond mere preference issues.
Ethical AI means user choice. So where do we find that?
AI should empower you, not control you. You deserve to know exactly how much energy is used, what data is being processed, and how these factors affect your subscription costs. Transparency and user choice must be at the heart of AI integration.
But today’s proprietary SaaS providers aren’t leaving much room for that discussion. AI is being imposed, not offered as a choice.
If AI is processing your data, you should know:
✅ How much energy it consumes (and who’s paying for it)
✅ What data is being used, where it’s going, and who has access to it
✅ How AI impacts the overall cost of your subscription
Without these answers, AI becomes a black box! One that’s expensive, invasive, and impossible to turn off.
That’s why at XWiki, we do things differently. We believe in ethical, user-driven AI. Our open-source platform gives you the power to choose: Use AI, disable it, or tailor it to fit your workflow. We don’t force features on you; we let you decide what works best for your needs while always being in control over your data.
Ethical AI isn’t just about technology. It’s about giving users the power to decide.
Digital freedom with open-source alternatives
The solution is not to abandon or reject AI, but to rethink how we implement it. Users should have a say in how their tools evolve, whether AI is part of the package, and how much control they retain over their data.
At XWiki, we believe that digital sovereignty starts with open-source solutions. Instead of being locked into proprietary SaaS models where AI is imposed without choice, open source provides the flexibility to decide what features serve your needs best. When organizations like Zentrum Digitale Souveränität (ZenDiS) put together suites like openDesk in Germany, or as Interstis did with Suite Hexagonne in France, we join forces with other sovereignty advocates to create digital ecosystems that value fairness and open access.
This approach tackles one of the main challenges organizations face when considering open-source alternatives. For example, by bringing together the best European open-source tools into a unified platform, openDesk offers an integrated, enterprise-ready solution that can replace proprietary suites without sacrificing functionality or user experience and especially without enforcing AI tools as already built-in features.
As proprietary tools become more expensive and intrusive, more organizations realize open-source alternatives are about more than just saving money. They're about retaining control over your technology and ensuring it evolves on your terms.
Why organizations should care
Organizations need software they can trust, control, and adapt to their needs, not tools that lock them into hidden costs and dependencies.
It is not just about cost. It is also about control. Businesses, institutions, and individuals deserve alternatives that prioritize transparency, choice, and true digital freedom. Because at the end of the day, the real question isn’t whether AI belongs in SaaS. It’s who gets to decide how it’s used.
Open-source solutions offer:
- Transparency: You see exactly how the software works and how it handles your data.
- Community-driven development: Features are built based on what users need, not just to boost profits.
- Flexibility: You can customize the software to meet your exact requirements.
- Independence: You are free from forced upgrades, sudden price hikes, or vendor lock-in.
- Fair pricing: You pay for the features you use, not for bundled extras you do not want.
How XWiki is taking action
At XWiki, we don’t just talk about digital freedom. We build it! After 20 years in the open-source environment, we can honestly say that building ethical software is a story of resilience and patience at the same time, focusing on respecting users' freedom of choice and based on transparency.
CryptPad: the encrypted alternative to Google Docs and Microsoft 365
Let's face it. The relationship between our documents and AI training has become increasingly problematic. While Google and Microsoft harvest your documents to feed their hungry AI models, CryptPad offers an open-source, end-to-end encrypted European alternative for the privacy-conscious among us. When you create documents in CryptPad, your information remains exclusively yours, protected from being scraped, analyzed, or repurposed for AI training datasets.
This distinction has become particularly relevant following developments like the xAI/X partnership, which exemplifies the growing trend of repurposing user-generated content for AI training.
For organizations serious about data sovereignty, CryptPad Enterprise provides a dedicated instance hosted on CryptPad's secure servers. You will benefit from professional management of your collaboration infrastructure while maintaining strong data protection. No mysterious data pipelines, no surprise "feature improvements" trained on your confidential documents. Just a secure workspace where your data stays yours.
The open-source community has long understood what corporate tech is just beginning to admit: You shouldn't have to choose between modern collaboration tools and basic privacy rights.
Want to experience collaboration without contributing to AI training datasets? See how CryptPad's encryption keeps your documents truly private.
XWiki: open-source knowledge management with full control
XWiki is an open-source, customizable wiki that gives you complete control over how your knowledge base is structured. Unlike proprietary tools that dictate how you work, XWiki adapts to your needs, giving you full control over your digital workspace.
When we say that technology should serve people, we make sure our own projects prove it.
We also recognize that AI can be useful, when it’s developed responsibly. Our WAISE (Wiki AI Search Engine) project is designed to improve how users interact with wiki content while maintaining privacy, transparency, and user autonomy. Unlike closed platforms, XWiki is putting in all the effort to develop AI as an opt-in tool that works for users, not against them.
Also, through our OSS FOSS Fund, we support European open-source projects that promote transparency, user control, and ethical tech development.
We dedicate 1% of our yearly recurrent revenue to funding open-source projects, reinforcing sustainability and giving back to the community that helped us grow.
While we are at XWiki SAS already a big contributor to open source, as our products XWiki and CryptPad are both fully open-source, we believe that it's very important that the developers of the upstream software that we use in our own products but also in our operations need to be supported and that we also need to show the way to larger companies that funding open source is key to it's sustainability.
The path forward
AI isn’t inherently good or bad. But like any tool, how it’s used matters. Proprietary vendors are leveraging AI to justify price hikes, obscure hidden costs, and lock users into closed ecosystems.
If you’re fed up with these forced changes and rising fees, it’s time to consider open-source alternatives that put you first. Open-source software has always been about empowerment, about putting control back in the hands of users. By prioritizing ethical AI practices, we can ensure that the future of SaaS is not only smarter but also fairer for everyone. At XWiki, we believe AI should remain a tool, not a requirement.
Remember, you should always have the final say in your digital workspace. With open source, you’re not just a user, you’re a partner in shaping technology that respects your freedom and privacy.
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