Why does there have to be a load in MOS inverters?
If the bottom "driver" transistor is turned off, the output will just be disconnected from ground - it will not be high unless something, somewhere, pulls it high, and the load resistor or upper transistor will do this.

There are "open collector" or "open drain" gates that do omit the internal load, but when you use them, you have to add an external load, or depend on something else in the circuit to pull the output up.