On Monday, Apple unveiled its 2024 list of finalists for its prestigious “iPhone App of the Year” award. Much to the surprise of many, the company’s list once again reveals a significant absence of AI-driven apps, signaling Apple’s continued reluctance to embrace AI’s growing influence within the mobile app ecosystem. Much like last year, Apple’s top iPhone app finalists favor traditional applications that focus on enhancing user experience through practical, hands-on features. Apps like Kino, which aids in professional video recording, Runna, which tailors personalized running plans, and Tripsy, which helps users organize their travel, dominate the list. Meanwhile, popular AI-driven apps such as ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, and Microsoft Copilot have been noticeably excluded from this high-profile group.
Apple’s omission of AI apps is especially surprising given the rapid rise of AI technologies in the consumer space. ChatGPT, for example, has become one of the most widely used AI applications globally, thanks to its versatile features and accessibility. In 2024, OpenAI has further expanded ChatGPT’s capabilities, introducing innovative tools like an Advanced Voice Mode and a web search feature that challenges search engines like Google. Yet despite its widespread use and continuous improvement, ChatGPT did not earn a spot among Apple’s nominees for the coveted title. This is curious, especially considering Apple’s partnership with OpenAI, which has enhanced Siri through ChatGPT’s underlying technology.
This exclusion of ChatGPT is not unique to Apple’s 2024 list. In 2023, both Apple and Google notably refrained from acknowledging ChatGPT as an App of the Year, despite its record-breaking growth. After its launch, ChatGPT quickly became the fastest-growing consumer app in history, reaching 100 million users within just a few months. This impressive feat, however, did not result in any accolades from either tech giant. Instead, Google selected the party-planning app Partiful as its app of the year, while Apple’s editorial team overlooked ChatGPT entirely, signaling a preference for more traditional apps.
Despite this, AI-powered apps did make some appearances among Apple’s other 2024 finalist categories, such as the iPad and Mac App of the Year lists. For instance, the music practice app Moises, which incorporates AI tools to enhance musical learning, was nominated for iPad App of the Year. Similarly, Adobe Lightroom, now equipped with AI-enhanced features, was a finalist for Mac App of the Year, alongside other innovative applications like OmniFocus 4 and Shapr 3D. These examples show that Apple is willing to acknowledge AI’s role in certain categories, but the overarching trend remains clear—AI apps are still far less likely to be featured in the most prestigious categories.
Interestingly, Apple’s curated list of finalists reveals that AI-driven apps are underrepresented, even in categories related to cultural impact. Out of a dozen finalists in this category, only one app was specifically described as utilizing AI technology—EF Hello, a language-learning app enhanced by AI. While other apps, such as Pinterest, likely incorporate AI tools behind the scenes, they are not marketed as “AI apps” on the App Store. This highlights Apple’s continued emphasis on apps that emphasize creativity, design, and direct user involvement over those that automate tasks using AI.
The focus on more traditional apps may stem from Apple’s desire to preserve the human touch in app development, a value that the company has long championed. The apps that dominate Apple’s 2024 list all serve to empower users, helping them perform specific tasks, improve their productivity, or express their creativity. For example, apps like Procreate Dreams and Bluey: Let’s Play cater to users’ need for entertainment and creative expression, without the reliance on AI systems that might alter or automate the process.
This preference for human-driven creativity is not just evident in the iPhone App of the Year finalists but across all of Apple’s 2024 award categories. Whether it’s in the realm of photography, design, music, or fitness, Apple’s chosen apps often encourage users to engage directly with the app’s features and tools, rather than relying on AI assistance. This approach reflects Apple’s ongoing commitment to empowering users to take control of their creative and functional endeavors.
In contrast, AI-driven apps like ChatGPT, which can generate text, answers, or even creative works with little human input, challenge this philosophy. While they undoubtedly have their place in the app ecosystem, Apple’s reluctance to recognize such apps as top-tier contenders suggests that the company sees value in maintaining a clear distinction between apps that rely on AI for automation and those that require more active user engagement. This may also stem from Apple’s caution regarding the broader societal implications of AI, such as the ethical concerns surrounding automation, privacy, and misinformation.
Apple’s decision to emphasize traditional apps rather than AI-powered ones might also reflect a fear of overshadowing its own initiatives. With the company’s significant investments in AI, such as integrating machine learning and AI technologies into iOS features, Apple could be positioning itself to dominate the AI space in a more controlled and organic way. By excluding prominent AI apps from its list, Apple may be signaling that the true value of its platform lies in apps that enhance personal creativity and productivity, rather than those that shift the focus toward automation and artificial intelligence.
Ultimately, the 2024 iPhone App of the Year finalists reveal that Apple continues to prioritize user-centric apps that foster creativity, productivity, and engagement. While AI is undeniably shaping the future of technology, Apple seems determined to maintain a balance in its app ecosystem, highlighting those apps that elevate human involvement rather than replace it with automation. For now, it appears that the intersection of AI and human creativity will remain a delicate balancing act, with Apple opting to shine the spotlight on the apps that encourage users to interact directly with their devices, rather than those that automate the process.
Kino, the professional video app from the makers of the pro camera app Halide, aims to help everyone become a better videographer. Other apps, in turn, enhance Apple’s devices, turning them into productivity tools for those in creative fields.
This year, Apple also introduced the new Apple Vision Pro category, where it will select both an app and a game winner.
