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# Small Firms Are Building AI Tools Instead of Buying Them
- URL: https://adjacent.media/signals/small-firms-are-building-ai-tools-instead-of-buying-them/
- Published: 2026-10-13T16:19:06.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-13T16:19:06.000Z
- Description: The shift from purchasing off-the-shelf AI solutions to in-house development reflects SMB technical maturation—these companies now have the confidence and cost pressure to justify custom builds.
- Author: Jonathan Greene
- Tags: #signal, theme-brand, AI adoption, smb strategy, build vs buy

Source: [The Next Web](https://thenextweb.com/news/shadow-ai-small-businesses-pax8-survey?ref=adjacent.media)

The shift from purchasing off-the-shelf AI solutions to in-house development reflects SMB technical maturation—these companies now have the confidence and cost pressure to justify custom builds. This creates pressure on AI platform vendors like OpenAI and Anthropic, who face margin compression as SMBs bypass their interfaces and build directly on underlying APIs, eroding switching costs and brand loyalty in the process.