I'm not sure Linux is the best comparison; it was specifically created to run on standard PC hardware. We have user access to AI models for little or no monetary cost, but they can be insanely expensive to run.
Maybe a better comparison would be weather simulations in the 90s? We had access to their outputs in the 90s but running the comparable calculations as a regular Joe might've actually been impossible without a huge bankroll.
Or 3D rendering, or even particularly intense graphic design-y stuff I think, right? In the 90’s… I mean, computers in the $1k-$2k range were pretty much entry level, right?
Maybe a better comparison would be weather simulations in the 90s? We had access to their outputs in the 90s but running the comparable calculations as a regular Joe might've actually been impossible without a huge bankroll.