Base44, a vibe coding platform acquired by Wix for $80 million, is rolling out its own AI model to support users in creating apps with natural language. This move is significant as it speaks to the debate over whether frontier models are best suited for all use cases and whether businesses built on top of someone else’s models are defensible long-term. By training and owning its own model, Base44 aims to optimize latency, cost, and efficiency, potentially outperforming frontier models. Why it matters: this development highlights the importance of defensibility in AI startups and the need for companies to leverage their data and infrastructure to stay ahead of competitors.