bug(ai): AI copy tells subscribers to add an API key that no longer exists (G30) #39

Summary

AI (G15, PR #31) was built on the premise that the user brings their own OpenAI / Anthropic / Gemini key via the web Integrations page. That premise is void. AI is now powered by Claude and provided by InterlinedList as part of the subscription.

Consequence: when GET /api/ai/status returns an empty providers[], the shipped app tells a paying subscriber to go do something that is impossible.

AI.swift:143 → "Add your own AI provider key in Settings on interlinedlist.com to use AI features."

There is no such setting on the live Integrations page.

Evidence (live, 2026-09-07)

GET /api/ai/status (Bearer, test account):

{"subscriber":true,"providers":["anthropic"],
 "defaultModels":{"anthropic":"claude-sonnet-5","openai":"gpt-4.1-mini","gemini":"gemini-2.0-flash"},
 "quota":{"usedToday":8,"dailyLimit":50,"remaining":42}}

/help/ai: "AI writing assistance … is a Subscriber feature, powered by Claude and included with your subscription, so there is no API key to set up and no separate AI bill." … "If you are subscribed and the AI controls are missing, the site's AI provider is temporarily unconfigured. The features hide themselves in that case rather than failing partway through an action."

/help/settings: "There is nothing to set up. AI is powered by Claude and provided by InterlinedList. You do not supply an API key, and there is no separate AI bill." … "AI actions are capped at 50 per day per account. A preview and its confirmed action each count."

What is actually wrong

The gating logic is already correct — AIAvailability.isAvailable keys off subscriber + non-empty providers. This is copy, comments, and one behavioural rule (hide vs. explain).

Division of labor

Domain

• AI.swift:143 — replace the unavailable-reason copy. When subscriber == true and providers is empty, the reason is the site's AI provider, not the user's setup. Suggested: "AI is temporarily unavailable. InterlinedList's AI provider is not responding right now — try again later." When subscriber == false, the reason stays a subscription prompt.
• Split the two cases explicitly rather than returning one string for both — a Free user and a subscriber during an outage need different sentences.
• AI.swift:112 — the doc comment "Provider slugs the account has configured" is wrong; these are the platform's configured providers.
• AI.swift:167 — "the cost of the user's own provider key" is wrong; the cost lands on InterlinedList's account and is bounded by the daily quota.

App

• AIAssistantViewModel.swift:9 — stale BYO-key comment.
• Follow the documented behaviour: when AI is unavailable, hide the composer AI control and the Powered Template / Powered Document entry points rather than showing a disabled control with an explanation. Free accounts "do not see the AI controls at all".
• Surface the daily quota where it helps: quota.remaining is already decoded. When remaining is 0, say so plainly ("You've used all 50 AI actions for today") instead of showing a generic failure — and note that a preview and its confirm each cost one.

Docs

• docs/spikes/ai-materialize-live-shapes.md — strike the two bring-your-own-key paragraphs.

Tests

• happy — subscriber + providers:["anthropic"] → available, controls visible
• invalid — non-subscriber → controls hidden, subscription copy
• upstream-failure — subscriber + providers:[] → controls hidden, provider-outage copy, and the string does not mention an API key
• boundary — quota.remaining == 0 → distinct quota-exhausted copy

Acceptance criteria

• No user-facing string anywhere in the app instructs anyone to add an AI provider key.
• A subscriber during a provider outage sees AI hidden, not a broken instruction.
• Full E2E gate green.

Notes

work-consolidation.md tracks this as G30. Size XS — copy plus one visibility rule.