According to a recent study by app subscription service Setapp, the adoption of AI among Mac app users is on the rise. The study revealed that 42% of Mac users currently report using AI-based apps daily and that 63% think AI apps are more valuable than those without AI. Additionally, Mac app developers are embracing AI, with 44% already using AI or machine learning models in their apps and another 28% stating that they are in the process of doing so.
The company, whose business involves providing access to more than 230 Mac programs through a subscription service, published the survey as part of its annual report on the condition of Mac software. Since 1,241 Mac users, mainly in the U.S., responded to its study this year, it may offer less broad information on the uptake of AI-based apps. However, the research emphasizes the interest in AI apps among this subset of Mac users, noting that top AI apps included ones that aren’t just exclusive to macOS, such as Google’s AI Bard and Bing, which combined AI technology from OpenAI.
Users also suggested using TypingMind, Elephas, Spark, Notion, Grammarly, Craft, Luminar Neo, MacGPT, Asana, Raycast, and MacWhisper as additional popular AI applications. Instead of being an app only concerned with interacting with AI, several use AI to enhance their existing apps.
“We see how AI is transforming the app’s usage experience by providing additional user assistance,” said Mykola Savin, product lead of Setapp, in a statement. “At Setapp, we also see a significant uptake of the functionality and AI technologies we integrate. Not everyone who uses AI is successful right away. But when they do, they frequently employ those features.
Since Setapp has yet to ask about AI app adoption in its yearly poll, it’s impossible to estimate how many more Mac users use AI apps daily than in years past. However, a sizable portion of consumers’ daily routines is affected by AI apps. Users access up to 15 of the average 51 installed apps on their Mac each day. Since 42% of respondents use AI apps daily, AI is a significant component of consumers’ everyday workflows.
Browser apps, Google and Microsoft Office products (all incorporating AI technology), and Adobe software are other frequently used programs. The latter has embraced generative AI across various programs, including Photoshop and other Creative Cloud programs. Users’ exposure to AI apps may be substantially higher.
Other general results about Mac app adoption and discovery are also covered in the poll, including that subscriptions are more common than one-time purchases and that the Mac App Store, YouTube, and social media are the most effective channels for discovering new apps. A Mac with either an M1 or M2 chip is also reported by 70% of poll participants, among other notable results.
