AI Tools Can Change Mid-Contract: A Checklist of Exit Clauses to Check Before Signing

AI software vendors now update their products, models, usage limits, and sometimes prices as often as weekly, unlike traditional SaaS that changed a few times a year. The article argues that this makes the contract's exit clause the key protection for buyers facing changes they did not choose. It recommends testing data export during the trial period, confirming a retrieval window of at least 30 days after cancellation with no deletion or fees. Buyers should also ask for advance notice of material changes and a penalty-free exit or pro-rated refund if promised features are removed. Finally, it advises documenting and revoking every access grant, such as OAuth permissions and API keys, as part of offboarding.