Matrix is probably the closest in terms of being widespread and well supported by client and server implementations, though it’s not quite the same. It’s a bit finicky in practice too.

In my opinion the difference is that any liability for the errors of the elevator are attributed to humans. AI companies are doing all they can to avoid liability for what the machines they create output.

What do you mean by this? Flatpak definitely solved the Linux distro balkanization problem for application developers without trying to destroy the benefits of having different distros. Having a distinction between system software, utilities, and advanced end user applications does solve a problem.

This might actually reverse firefox’s decline in userbase at least in the business world. Any shop that already has multi-OS management could probably insta-switch to firefox, and i’m sure that MS locked-in places could too given enough of a push by IT.