AI Expands App Supply 30% but Lifts Downloads Only 3%, Missing Killer Apps

1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 12

30% more apps appeared on Apple’s App Store last year, but downloads rose only 3%, underscoring the gap between AI-driven software output and breakout consumer demand.
95% of big corporate AI productivity efforts fail, according to an MIT study cited in the piece, even as code-generation tools improve rapidly and work well for many individual users.
The argument is that AI may not spawn many Slack- or Candy Crush-style hits because people rarely switch software unless forced, limiting adoption of entirely new tools.
Instead, AI’s nearer-term impact may be smaller, task-specific products that remove everyday friction, while rushed releases from major AI companies leave businesses without enough guidance to deploy them well.