The idea that AI would replace apps is quickly falling apart. New data shows app launches are exploding, with releases up 60% year-over-year across both Apple App Store and Google Play Store, and even higher growth on iOS alone.

Instead of killing apps, AI is lowering the barrier to building them. Tools powered by models like those from OpenAI are making it possible for non-developers to create apps faster than ever. This is turning the app economy into something closer to a creator economy.

The result is a new kind of gold rush. More people are building apps, more niches are being filled, and the app ecosystem is expanding rather than shrinking. AI isn’t replacing apps, it’s multiplying them.