I think just like how we saw the development of Asics, we'll see crystallized models at some baseline level of competence. Then, we'll probably see a huge glut of excess capacity in the GPU market, and we won't need excessive gluts of RAM and compute.

If it is local first, why does it require sign up? How can it be local first but have a server-side component that requires me to pay? That is not "local first", but rather "local compatible". The equivalent would be saying Google Docs is local first because you can make edits when you're offline that are later sync'd.

I think the issue here is that "local-first" covers a wide range. Some people in https://lofi.so community do use this word to convey the meaning "local-compatible".

I would be up for changing the phrase if another widely recognized word is available.

You can use artist mode in Emacs as an equivalent. It's really great for box plots and diagrams.