> Those Guccis would not exist if not for the mass-market cheap option; there would be no reason to splurge on an expensive unique purchase if everyone else was

> Those Guccis would not exist if not for the mass-market cheap option; there would be no reason to splurge on an expensive unique purchase if everyone else was already wearing something unique. I would have a slightly different take. They all exist for the same reason: extremely cheap labour overseas. That's why there's enough spare cash sloshing around to provide what is the main differentiating factor: marketing. Get the marketing right and you can charge far more for almost the same product. If your shoes were made locally and cost $200 on average, you'd a) pick shoes for longevity, not looks, and b) not be that impressed with shoes that cost "only" 4x more. To translate this to AI: they're both using AI. Just one has better marketing paid for by higher prices.