AI has turned Nvidia into the stock market darling. It has catapulted Microsoft back to being the world’s most valuable company. It has made OpenAI a mainstay in the headlines.
But what AI still hasn’t done yet is actually get used, regularly, by average consumers.
- For all of ChatGPT’s hype, only 23% of Americans have ever used it.
- Even among tech-obsessed youths, AI isn’t a daily part of life: only 4% of Americans ages 14-22 report using AI tools daily or almost daily.
- It’s not just an American thing: only 2% of Brits report using AI daily.
Apple will change that
The company announced its new integrated AI system, Apple Intelligence, yesterday. Highlights include a supercharged Siri, generative AI connecting Apple’s core apps, and OK, sure, custom emojis seem fun enough.
Only time can tell if Apple Intelligence will be a game changer itself, or help Apple’s stock price, but bringing Macs and iPhones into the AI game will meaningfully move the world toward wider AI adoption.
- Lest we forget, Apple is the smartphone leader, topping global market share with 234.6m iPhones shipped last year.
- Overall, it boasts 2B+ global active devices.
There have been some notable exceptions — a certain spatial computing product pops to mind — but in the early 21st century, it’s a good bet that when Apple makes its move on a technology, it’ll go mass market.
So, does it matter how “late” Apple was?
In the short run, yes. It was a bruising last few months and Apple fairly came into the week under tremendous pressure: perceived as behind on AI, with stagnating value (at least compared to other Big Tech firms) and impatient investors.
But in the long run, probably not — profiting off the early AI boom matters less when you’re already worth multiple trillions of dollars.
Now the most important box has been checked: When AI mass adoption arrives, it’ll be happening on Apple devices.