The news: AI image generation is driving mobile AI app downloads, per Appfigures data cited by TechCrunch.

• Google’s Nano Banana image-editing model pushed the Gemini app to the top of the Apple App Store chart and more than quadrupled downloads in the first 28 days after its launch.
• ChatGPT saw more than 12 million additional downloads in the same time span after it launched the GPT-4o image generator.
• As far as video generators, OpenAI’s Sora shot to the top of the App Store’s free app chart shortly after its release, and Meta AI’s launch of its Vibes AI video feed added about 2.6 million incremental downloads in its first four weeks, per TechCrunch.

Massive lifts in downloads for image generation features versus standard AI model updates suggest that consumers are actively seeking out image tools, making it both a user acquisition driver and a retention tool. We expect that US genAI image generator users will reach 78.6 million in 2030, up from 60.4 million in 2026.

The caveat: Compute capacity is limited, and companies are feeling forced to prioritize the products that deliver the highest returns. For some, that means the future of their business models lies in enterprise AI adoption, not consumer tools.

• Shortly after OpenAI CEO of applications Fidji Simo said the company wanted to cut back on “side quests” and shift focus to business and productivity tools, it announced the Sora video model would be discontinued. In April, Sora was costing OpenAI $1 million a day, per PCMag.
• Anthropic has stayed away from launching an image generator and has been developing strong coding and enterprise tools, with about 80% of its business from those customers.

While mass user downloads offer visibility, they don’t necessarily translate into sustainable revenues or justify the ongoing infrastructure costs of compute-intensive features like image and video generation.

Recommendations for brands: Image generation is driving the current wave of consumer AI adoption, but it may not be where AI companies ultimately choose to pool their efforts.

• Explore AI image tools for editing and social amplification, but don’t rely on any single platform that may deprioritize features.
• Focus on how visual AI can support conversion and personalization to capitalize on consumer interest and improve the user experience.