AI vendor switching in 2026 is bound primarily by contract terms — exit clauses, data-portability obligations, model-deprecation rights — not by technical migration cost. Seven clause patterns repeatedly create the lock-in most enterprises only discover at year two of the relationship: (1) data-portability scope narrowness, (2) model-deprecation rights without credit, (3) sub-processor expansion without consent, (4) output-IP ambiguity, (5) pricing-tier rebalancing mid-contract, (6) agent-uptime SLA definition gaps, (7) audit-evidence retention obligations. Vendor consolidation (Moveworks→ServiceNow Dec 2025, Aisera→Automation Anywhere Nov 2025) and model deprecations make this a 2026 procurement story.

Procurement-anxiety lead-magnet piece, paired with RES-005 (AI MSA Red-Team Checklist downloadable). Cadence 60-day. Trigger conditions: further major AI vendor M&A activity changing change-of-control clauses; new EU AI Act enforcement guidance on Article 16 audit-evidence retention; first major published settlement under model-deprecation clauses; SaaS-industry MSA template revisions. Sister claims: AM-027 (vendor contract gotchas), AM-085 (RFP 60 questions), RES-005 (MSA red-team). External sources cited inline: ServiceNow Q1 2026 10-Q, Automation Anywhere Aisera press, Klarna Bloomberg reversal, OpenAI deprecation page, Anthropic model lifecycle, EU AI Act Articles 12 and 16.