When AI systems started answering questions directly, the entire documentation-driven business model began shifting. Nobody's browsing help docs anymore—they're getting instant answers. This pattern is now accelerating into a critical 2026 problem: companies that rely on API access are facing shutdown notices, and many won't survive the transition.

Here's the catch: the platforms controlling the data aren't just pulling the plug on APIs. They're simultaneously building competing products with the same datasets. Speed matters here—they can spin up rival solutions faster than any third-party developer could adapt. The data advantage compounds into a product advantage almost overnight.

This isn't just about technical infrastructure breaking. It's about the fundamental economics of the ecosystem rewriting itself. Businesses built on borrowed access are discovering that access was never guaranteed.