In this Bloomberg Opinion column published September 10, 2026, Parmy Olson argues that generative AI is upending the traditional mobile app economy even as it makes app creation easier, noting that new app releases on Apple’s App Store surged roughly 80% earlier in the year. The piece examines how AI assistants and agents are beginning to displace the discovery and interaction model built around discrete apps. Olson frames this as AI simultaneously dismantling the app industry’s existing business structure and building a successor to it.
