Stripe has made a hefty $7.5 billion acquisition of OpenRouter, sparking curiosity about the future of payments and artificial intelligence.

The Collison brothers justify this move by referencing what they call 'the singularity', though it’s more likely they see an opportunity to gain insights into AI usage among developers.

OpenRouter helps developers manage their model usage, making Stripe's acquisition seem like a strategic play in the evolving landscape of token expense management. It suggests that while we may not be merging with tech, companies are certainly trying to control every aspect of our digital lives.

This deal might give Stripe unparalleled access to data on how AI is being used and could potentially influence supply chains, as it gains leverage over key players in the AI space.