It's not free, though. There's a free tier, but the product is ChatGPT Plus, metered access to API/newer models, etc.
Usually this truism is invoked in reference to advertising business models where the actual customer is advertisers, and you're just inventory so from cable TV to web search the business has usually been happy to take a shit in your mouth whenever it serves their advertisers.
We will see how things pan out with ChatGPT as the interests of a ChatGPT Plus user likely align closely with the interests of someone on the free tier. Historically I think freemium business models tend to be kinder to their customers than advertising-based ones, or at the least, they simply lean on you until you upgrade to paying customer (if they do enshittify the free tier I think you would see an amazing conversion rate to ChatGPT Plus because the product is so good and unique).
Usually this truism is invoked in reference to advertising business models where the actual customer is advertisers, and you're just inventory so from cable TV to web search the business has usually been happy to take a shit in your mouth whenever it serves their advertisers.
We will see how things pan out with ChatGPT as the interests of a ChatGPT Plus user likely align closely with the interests of someone on the free tier. Historically I think freemium business models tend to be kinder to their customers than advertising-based ones, or at the least, they simply lean on you until you upgrade to paying customer (if they do enshittify the free tier I think you would see an amazing conversion rate to ChatGPT Plus because the product is so good and unique).