Is the AI picture app development already over? Over the previous a number of months, AI-powered picture apps have been going viral on the App Retailer as shoppers explored AI powered–experiences like Lensa AI’s “magic avatars” feature and different apps promising to show textual content into photos utilizing AI tech. However new information from app intelligence agency Apptopia signifies client curiosity in AI picture apps has fallen as rapidly because it rose.
The agency analyzed prime AI picture apps worldwide, monitoring each their obtain progress and in-app client spending.
In its evaluation shared with TechCrunch, Apptopia examined the main AI picture app Lensa AI and others, together with Voi, Remini, Pixelup, Fotor, Marvel, FacePlay, Aiby, FaceApp, Gradient, Daybreak AI, Facetune, Prequel, Voilà AI Artist, New Profile Pic Avatar Maker, and Meitu. (Voi was a later arrival, launching on December 7.)
Apptopia discovered that this group of AI apps first started to take off round Thanksgiving, then hit their peak by way of each downloads and in-app purchases round mid-December. At their top of recognition, the apps topped 4.3 million each day downloads and ~$1.8 million per day in client spending by way of in-app purchases.
These numbers have considerably dropped since. On November 11, the apps noticed their lowest income, at $0.37 million. And, every week afterward November 19, they noticed the bottom variety of downloads, at 0.84 million.
As of yesterday (not proven on the chart beneath), the identical group of apps noticed solely round 952,000 mixed downloads and round $507,000 in client spending, because the numbers proceed to fall.
This newest hype cycle started with Lensa AI’s breakout success. Although the app has been round since 2018, Lensa AI went viral in late November to early December 2022 thanks to its new avatar feature, which noticed it leap to the No. 1 spot on the iOS App Retailer’s aggressive “Picture & Video” charts forward of larger apps like YouTube and Instagram. Customers have been fascinated with the app’s intelligent new “magic avatars” function, which leveraged the open supply Stable Diffusion mannequin to course of selfie pictures to generate avatars that seemed like that they had been made by a digital artist.
However there have been quickly various complaints about how this expertise had been put to make use of. Individuals discovered that it was too easy to trick the app into making NSFW images, and artists were upset that their work had been opted into the coaching information with out their consent. The latter resulted in most of the AI profile pics having similarities to artists’ personal work — however they weren’t those taking advantage of it.
Shoppers appeared to answer the moral considerations being raised. As TechCrunch had reported on the time, some folks started to depart feedback on AI pictures and profile photos posted on social media to inform folks to not use an app that steals from artists. This backlash doubtless quelled a few of the demand for the AI artwork. In spite of everything, it’s not a lot enjoyable to make use of an AI pic to your profile in case you’re basically being accused of theft when doing so.
Plus, some folks solely needed to see the outcomes of their very own AI profile pictures after seeing TikTok movies concerning the function. After working by means of the creation course of one time and receiving a set of pictures, there was not essentially additional curiosity in utilizing the function once more.
Some customers additionally had complaints concerning the subscription required for what they thought ought to be a one-off activity.
As well as, the app shops themselves had become overrun with AI photo apps, pushing quite a few different AI apps into the App Retailer’s Prime Charts, a few of which labored higher than others. At one level in mid-December, the highest three spots on the U.S. App Retailer have been held by AI picture apps and lots of others have been newly rating within the Prime 100. Sensor Tower estimates on the time indicated that 8 out of the highest 100 apps by downloads have been AI artwork apps. However the apps weren’t notably differentiated from each other, as they have been all some variation on AI avatars — like these Lensa AI helped popularize — or provided one other form of AI picture generator, like those who generated photos from textual content prompts.
The market was instantly overly saturated. On the identical time, there was rising curiosity in one other type of AI expertise: ChatGPT. The AI chatbot was launched on November 30, 2022, and shortly gained client consideration. By January, the App Retailer was once more flooded with AI apps. However this time round it was with dubious ChatGPT apps, not Lensa AI copycats. Apple rapidly eliminated one of many extra outstanding faux ChatGPT apps, however others remained.
Extra not too long ago, we’ve seen client curiosity in ChatGPT-like experiences drive Microsoft’s Bing to near the top of the App Store after it introduced integrations with OpenAI’s newer chatbot expertise, which guarantees to be an enchancment over ChatGPT. It’s not clear if AI chatbots will truly unseat conventional search within the near- or long-term, despite the immediate threat, as a result of there continues to be considerations round bots’ means to supply misinformation. However for now, these apps are the most recent to intrigue shoppers.
The burst of client curiosity in picture AI apps, ChatGPT, and now, Bing, signifies individuals are listening to AI expertise and do wish to take a look at out the brand new concepts firsthand. A winner or winners could finally emerge right here, nevertheless it’s too quickly to inform.
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