Can AI Tollgates Become the New SaaS Model?

Hello,

What happens when AI agents can do the work of multiple software users at once?

That question is starting to threaten one of enterprise software’s core business models: charging companies for every employee seat. As AI agents take on more work inside platforms like SAP, Salesforce and ServiceNow, software giants are racing to protect both their data and their revenue streams.

Some are restricting how outside AI agents access their platforms. Others are rolling out new pricing tied to AI-driven activity instead of employee headcount.

We asked Deep Research to examine whether those tollgates can protect incumbent software companies—or if they’ll push customers toward AI-native competitors instead.

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