It’s not too late for Apple to get AI right (techcrunch.com)

OpenAI this week expanded ChatGPT into an “apps” platform, letting third‑party services (Booking, Spotify, Figma, etc.) run inside the chatbot so users can book travel, build playlists, or edit designs without leaving ChatGPT. It’s an immediate UX win but has limits: users must install and authenticate each app (including 2FA), invoke apps by name or buttons inside a chat, interactions are single‑app at a time, and branding/UI fidelity can be lost. The system also relies on broader adoption of the Model Context Protocol (MCP), so developer uptake and multi‑app workflows remain uncertain. That gap gives Apple a real shot to retain app‑store dominance if it executes its Siri overhaul and Apple Intelligence. Apple controls hardware, OS, discovery (App Store), and developer APIs (SiriKit, App Intents), and plans to let Siri invoke menu actions, read on‑screen text, suggest app actions, and add AI features like proofreading with minimal developer work. Reportedly in internal tests and due next year, the new Siri could enable natural voice/text commands across many installed apps, with tighter privacy controls and built‑in discovery—advantages ChatGPT’s sandboxed app model lacks. The contest isn’t settled: OpenAI may pursue hardware, but Apple’s integrated stack and existing developer frameworks give it a strong path to modernize apps without killing the app economy.