What's the strongest bear case for AI tokens ?

I've been looking into a lot AI projects recently, and one question keeps coming back to me.

If the token disappeared tomorrow, what would actually stop working?

Not the price,

The actual product.

That's become my biggest bear case for a lot of AI tokens.

Most AI companies already know how to make money. They can charge subscription, sell API access, or work with enterprise clients. None of that automatically requires a token.

So when i look at an AI project now, I care less about how impressive the demo is and more about whether the token is actually doing something important.

Does it secure the network?

Does it pay for decentralized compute?

Does product usage create real demand for the token?

Or is the token just there?

I'm still very bullish on AI as a whole, but i think "AI + token" isn't enough anymore. The token has to earn its place.

Curious what everyone else thinks.

Is there an AI token you genuinely believe couldn't work without its token? If so, which one and why?