I have so far resisted attempts at articles about AI. Nobody needs to read more of that.

But I did have a strange thought. Inspired by me still rocking an iPhone 12 Pro and an Intel based Mac, the Apple Intelligence features being rolled out on more capable devices are passing me by.

Honestly, I can’t say I’m missing them either. But it did make me focus on changes outside of the endless AI fanfare. I ended up at this conclusion:

If it wasn’t for AI, what would tech companies actually be working on?

The physical devices might still get incremental spec updates. But what would the likes of Apple, Microsoft, and Google actually give us? It wasn’t so long ago that Apple keynotes gushed about Memojis as a headline feature.

It also leads me to another thought:

When the appetite eventually wanes and the AI bubble bursts, what will the tech companies have in store for us?

It’s clear they were running out of ideas and directions. Laptop and phone design had peaked and coalesced. Variations on folding and touch screens have appeared but not exactly set the world on fire either, especially with the eye-watering prices they have.

I’m not saying AI saved tech companies, but it sure as hell came along at the right time for a great many of them.