EDIT: They replied that their plan is to replace every possible role with AI, including both devs and sysadmins, keeping only a few active contracts for emergencies and to fix issues they can't handle. I informed them of the termination of our working relationship as soon as possible, as the bond of trust has completely broken down. There was no financial hardship justifying the cost reduction they agreed upon with me - it was simply a unwillingness to increase costs, despite paying roughly the same amount for AI provider subscriptions.
A few months ago, a client asked me to shave about €200 a month off our agreement. "We’re trying to cut back on expenses", he said, "to boost our cash flow." I was hesitant, but hey, I agreed.
Fast forward to this morning: one of his team members calls me asking for help because - and I quote - "both Claude and ChatGPT are giving me answers that just don't feel right."
I asked for a little context, only to find out they had upgraded to the top-tier plans for both AIs so they could "solve problems on their own without bothering me."
So, I dropped my client a line: we either revert to our original agreement, or we wrap up this collaboration effective immediately.
Asking me for a discount just to throw far more money at AI subscriptions - only to call me anyway when the bots fail - is, to say the least, a slap (or slop?) in the face.
#IT #SysAdmin