Free to play, pay for more
When Apple revealed Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2024 in June, it made it clear that the artificial intelligence (AI) system would be free to use, with no paid-for tiered options like you find in rivals such as ChatGPT. But while that’s the situation for now, a new report suggests it might not last.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman has hinted at Apple’s future plans. In the article, Gurman explains that “though Apple Intelligence will be free to start, the long-term plan is to make money off [its] capabilities.”
This could be achieved by keeping the base Apple Intelligence model free and launching something akin to “Apple Intelligence+” alongside it. This would have “extra features that users pay monthly fees for, just like iCloud,” Gurman says.
It might not be the only way Apple tries to make money off Apple Intelligence. The company will also “get a cut of the subscription revenue from every AI partner that it brings onboard,” Gurman believes.
