AI App Gold Rush Floods Apple Store With Low-Quality Offerings

AI-powered apps have flooded Apple's App Store, with AI-branded tools dominating top rankings across multiple categories, particularly in graphics and design. An investigation by The Verge reveals significant quality concerns among these applications.

Turkey-based developer HUBX controls three of the top 10 graphics apps, including DaVinci AI, which offers limited free features while charging up to $30 annually for full access. The app produces low-quality images and forces watermarks on paid users' downloads, The Verge writes. According to Sensor Tower data, four of the top 10 most downloaded iOS graphics apps in the U.S. this year include "AI" in their titles.

While established photo editing apps like Photoshop Express saw downloads drop 21%, AI-focused app Photoroom's downloads surged 160% year-over-year. Professional creative apps continue to dominate iPad and paid iPhone categories, suggesting the AI app trend primarily targets casual users seeking free alternatives to paid creative services.

2024 iOS AI apps = 2008 fart apps

[williamyf]

In 2008, when the iOS app store oppened, there was a deludge of crappy apps. The poster-child ofthose were the fart apps.

now, in 2024, here we are with "crappy AI apps"

  history does not repeat itself, but it surely rimes.

Re: 2024 iOS AI apps = 2008 fart apps

[commodore73]

But do these new ai apps push fartcoin? And yes, that's a real thing with cap in the hundred of millions. Hot air rises. As always, caveat emptor. And in these case, you deserve it if you buy it.

Re:

[mjwx]

In 2008, when the iOS app store oppened, there was a deludge of crappy apps. The poster-child ofthose were the fart apps.

now, in 2024, here we are with "crappy AI apps"

history does not repeat itself, but it surely rimes.

Nihil novi sub sole.

Has it ever been any different?

App stores have always been full of crap, barely contained. They might have tried to promote better apps but ultimately the sea of crud was just under the surface. I largely think they've given up on even trying to hide it now.

Re:

[antdude]

/me farts on AI.

Re: 2024 iOS AI apps = 2008 fart apps

[HumanEmulator]

iPhones flooded with low-quality AI offerings? Is this article talking about apps on the App Store or the release of iOS 18.2?

DaVinci you say

[necro81]

Turkey-based developer HUBX controls three of the top 10 graphics apps, including DaVinci AI

Someone should mention that to Black Magic Software, makers of popular video editing program DaVinci Resolve [blackmagicdesign.com].

Re:

[bn-7bc]

Calling DaVinci resolve a video editor is not giving it enough credit, yes you can use it as just a video edittor, but it's allsp a qyire capable vfx sw and DAW, and all this avalabke for the low low price of free ( or if you need ai features, hw h264/h265 encode etc a reasonable one time payment) ok ad over, and they don't even give me money lol. Locally BMDhas a quir nice hw business as well ( control panels, video converters etc) this allows them to eat a bit of the costs associated with maintaining the

Re:

[bn-7bc]

Ok my brain must need a tune up, who js infringing on whos IP hete, did I even mention another company in my post? Ehm I had a few ripos so if that confused you soeey. Btw BMD is short foe Blavk magic design, the developers of Resolve and allso a lot of specialiced hw ( camefas, cideo switchers, etcj

Yeah

[stealth_finger]

Yeah, isn't that what most app stores are? A few decent ones and bunch more trying to cash in?

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

meanwhile ...

[Anne Thwacks]

Apple are using AI to reject human created simple, easy to use, but fully functional apps that are devoid of advertising and unwanted and pointless features as being "too simple and having limited features".

Re:

[dysmal]

In Apples defense, they were rejecting apps like this long before AI was the flavor of the day.

Re:

[bn-7bc]

I doubt the would EU is pro cunsumer, as long as there are alternative markets places and/or sidelining available ( without jail braking) , I suspect they'd be perfectly finewith the default marketplace having srict is quality polecies if they where appliet fairky and universally and not used as a way to squash competition) but maybe I'm just an optimist

Re:

[narcc]

LOL! Obivously not! Do you even know what "anti-trust" means? Get a clue.

What, specific, "anti-trust ruling" have they made that you believe is pro-business and anti-consumer? Explain your answer with facts, not feelings.

Re:

[narcc]

So you don't have a clue. Figures.

Anti-trust is pro-consumer, not pro-business. If you want to claim otherwise, the burden of proof is on you.

You've got nothing. You're full of shit.

People screamed in rage

[Anonymous Coward]

>The app produces low-quality images and forces watermarks on paid users' downloads, The Verge writes.

OMFG, we screamed and screamed and whined about having to mark anything and everything that has had AI input anywhere in its creation, now there are WATERMARKS indicating it was made with an app that uses AI? How the fuck could THIS happen?!

Execute surprised_pikachu.exe!

Jesus fucking christ people are stupid.

Re:

[Luckyo]

Sit down for this. The following information will shock you to the core:

Different people have different interests.