AI is killing the app economy and building its successor
Gatekeeping is moving from controlling apps to overseeing AI services.
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Mobile apps are disappearing from some of tech’s most promising start-ups.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Parmy Olson
Artificial intelligence has made it easier than ever to build an app. New releases on Apple’s App Store surged by about 80 per cent earlier this year as developers vibe-coded their way to new software widgets for markets such as wellness and productivity.
But follow the money in Silicon Valley and something strange is happening: Mobile apps are disappearing from some of tech’s most promising start-ups. AI is the reason for that, too.