The pinch (as far as I can see it) is that you're right, and Apple can't sell a freestanding service to save their life. If we do get an AppleGPT pay-as-you-go service, it's certain to be extraordinarily censored and locked-down as the exclusive first-party option on iPhone. It will feature "vertical integration" that no other AI can have, alongside censorship so prudish that it would make Maurey Povich gasp.
So... I think users will be stuck. They'll want to run uncensored models on their phone, but Apple will want to keep them in the walled garden at any cost. It feels like the whole "Fortnite" situation all over again, where users can agree they want something but Apple can't decide.
So... I think users will be stuck. They'll want to run uncensored models on their phone, but Apple will want to keep them in the walled garden at any cost. It feels like the whole "Fortnite" situation all over again, where users can agree they want something but Apple can't decide.