RECEIPT #BEN-TH
JAN 01, 2024
PREDICTION BY
Ben Thompson“Apple, probably more than any other company, deeply understands its position in the value chains in which it operates, and brings that position to bear to get other companies to serve its interests on its terms; we see it with developers, we see it with carriers, we see it with music labels, and now I think we see it with AI. Apple — assuming it delivers on what it showed with Apple Intelligence — is promising to deliver features only it can deliver, and in the process lock in its ability to compel partners to invest heavily in features it has no interest in developing but wants to make available to Apple’s users on Apple’s terms.”
FOLLOW-UP
Apple has indeed leveraged its device position to integrate multiple AI providers (as reported by Bloomberg and confirmed by Apple's actions), and is monetizing these third-party AI subscriptions through the App Store, generating significant revenue.
ORIGINAL SOURCE
Stratechery by Ben Thompson