Apple's big WWDC 2024 announcement may be an AI App Store
Apple's AI strategy may not necessarily be to only offer the best AI apps it can produce, but instead deliver an enhanced AI App Store that may debut at WWDC.
Apple AI
Apple, like many other tech companies, is hard at work introducing AI elements to its operating systems and software, and could potentially bring those products out to consumers in 2024. However, Apple may have other plans on how to make money from AI.
Speaking to CNBC on Monday, Melius Research head of technology research Ben Reitzes believes Apple will lay the groundwork for a new AI App Store in June. This will apparently include detailing how consumers will be able to acquire AI apps from an assortment of vendors.
Reitzes explains the reasoning by referring to Apple's other storefronts which have become industry-changing behemoths. Apple "has a history of convincing a lot of leaders to make apps or do something with them, while they perfect the ecosystem," he insists.
It's not entirely relevant, but as an example, the analyst offers Steve Jobs talking to record labels to get on board with downloads and a vision of a dollar per song, before producing the iTunes store.
What is more relevant is the iPhone App Store. For that, Reitzes pointis out that Apple made only some of the apps, but convinced others to make them.
Reitzes feels that it is the same story again, but for AI. Apple will offer its own AI services, but the company is in discussions with other companies to offer their AI apps for sale, possibly as part of an AI App Store.
In the research note released on Monday, Melius Research said "We think Tim Cook and his team are running around speaking to rivals because they are channeling their inner Steve' persuasion skills."
Reitzes forecasts that Apple will detail how to buy AI apps from the App Store at WWDC, it will have its own apps, an AI assistant, and an upgrade to Siri. Signs of how AI will flow into Apple's Services business are also expected to at least be previewed.
A storefront of AI apps
The concept of an App Store for AI isn't entirely new, as other analysts have proposed the same thing. In February, for example, Wedbush wrote that Apple will push into AI and eventually create "a separate AI App Store."
Wedbush also wrote that Apple was anticipated to internally discuss the concept at WWDC. Whether those talks will involve developers is another matter.
Reitzes' comments about how Apple has talked to others, including Google, about adding listings to an AI-specific App Store may also be grounded in fact. Apple has reportedly talked to companies including Baidu to handle generative AI services in China, and it's plausible the talks could've strayed into the topic of a dedicated App Store.
Apple has also been in discussions with Google to license the search giant's Gemini AI to provide AI improvements to Siri. Like many other AI services, Google Gemini is already accessible via an app accessible from the App Store, so there would be little friction in including that within an AI-specific store.
WWDC 2024 will take place in early June. The event has yet to be announced.
Rumor Score: Possible
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"Our beloved and caring DOJ is appalled Apple continues to make money on Apple stores, now with AI. Whenever Apple comes out with something new, consumers pay higher prices. The DOJ cannot stand by and let this happen. Using every blood-sucking attorney at our disposal, the DOJ will work hard to ensure Apple makes as little profit as possible so that consumers are not harmed.
—The DOJ. When you make it big, we come after you."
Although I suspect if Trump wins, the DOJ case will be dropped immediately and DOJ told to concentrate on real crime!
Why use specialized apps when you can easily just do the task easily with ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude alone? Sure it takes a little training and learning to become an expert user, but we can now create and save our own specialized AI bots within ChatGPT which means those apps are becoming less relevant by the day.
There's a lot of things that led to this current situation. More recent is Citizens United v. FEC back in 2010 and much further back is the formation of political parties at all, which George Washington warned us against in his Farewell Address in 1796. Parties that ultimately do nothing but divide a nation into factions.
https://www.georgewashington.org/farewell-address.jsp
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v._FEC
I'm confused about your confusion. Are you suggesting that there's no need for any other players in the [Generative] AI market?
Should we notify the 95% of fast food industry that they are irrelevant because McDonald's, Burger King and Dairy Queen already exist?
Competition should be encouraged, not discouraged.
As usual all the existing AI models were supporting PC and Android systems and leaving Apple in the dust, so once again Apple will need to roll up it's sleeves and create a new service to support their hardware from the ground up. Why? Because no one else would the reason used/given was Apples market is just too small and the PC and Android markets are bigger markets.
Apple a monopoly what a laugh they have to create for their core platform/ecosystems time and again because no one else will, the DOJ and EU are full of it.......
The Apple Pay NFC service was born in the same manner no support in the greater marketplace was coming. (see a pattern when you are outnumbered)
But you are to blame if you are successful.
I doubt that WWDC24 will dominate its focus on an "AI App Store". Sure, I can see how that ties into a developer conference, and I can see how a separate storefront would break up operations, to appear "less big" to the forces that be, but let's see some awesome hardware and software that makes ... particularly the Mac... better again.
Once again Apple will need to roll up its sleeves and create a new service to support their hardware from the ground up.