A new report argues that emerging artificial intelligence (AI) agent platforms — autonomous systems that can execute workflows and orchestrate business tasks — may eventually undermine traditional SaaS license pricing models by performing many roles today filled by subscription-based software. As these agents grow more capable, the appeal of legacy SaaS tools with per-seat or tiered licenses could be weakened, forcing vendors to offer significant discounts or rethink how they charge customers.
The projection comes from a future-focused scenario in The 2028 Global Intelligence Crisis, a thought experiment by Citrini Research and Lotus Technology Management, which imagines AI agents driving productivity so dramatically that workforces shrink, and SaaS platforms face pricing pressure as agents replicate or automate tasks traditionally handled in licensed applications. In that vision, AI could deliver enterprise functions without requiring the same suite of SaaS subscriptions, eroding the core of the subscription-based business model.
However, industry experts remain cautious about this projected shift. They note that while AI can make it easier to write or generate software tools, running and supporting enterprise systems is much harder, involving integration, compliance, security, and 24/7 reliability. These costs — and the need for audit trails, regulatory documentation, and managed risk — still make SaaS platforms valuable even as agent orchestration rises.
For customers, the near-term effect could be pricing leverage: because SaaS valuations and demand have softened amid AI sector volatility (sometimes dubbed the “SaaSpocalypse”), organizations may be able to negotiate lower license costs or push vendors for more flexible terms. This moment is viewed by some analysts as the strongest pricing pressure on SaaS vendors since cloud services displaced traditional on-premises software models.
