The Python Software Foundation includes highly competent contributors. One reason I adopted uv is confidence in the Python community’s engineering decision to prevent the take over of the platform.
Progress is already underway. PEP 751 proposes a standardized format for lock files: https://peps.python.org/pep-0751/ This helps to reduce tool-specific lock-in.
uv is open source, so forking remains viable. Build metadata is committed, and conversion to other tools is feasible if needed.
However, we must all remain vigilant against the risk of lock-in.
Many competent contributors have left or were silenced by the politicians. PyPI had multiple severe vulnerabilities. pip has no adequate story for the scientific ecosystem. Building from source via pip usually fails, unlike around 2010 when it usually worked.
The only thing that prevents lock-in is the religious zeal of most Python users to use anything presented by the PSF high priests, not technical merit.
The reason uv exists is the utter incompetence of PyPA.