Problem is that by that time there would be open source models (the ones that already exist are getting good) that I can run locally. I honestly don't need _THAT_ much.

people like you are the problem. the people who join a website cause it to be shitty, then leave and start the process at a new website. Reddit didnt become shit because of Reddit it became shit because of people going on there commenting as if they themselves are an LLM repeating enshittification over and over and trying to say the big buzzword first so they get to the top denying any real conversation.