Apple may soon find a new way to earn money from its platforms, by allowing outside companies to offer artificial intelligence agents through its ecosystem and taking a share of the revenue they generate. The possibility emerged during the company’s latest earnings call, when chief financial officer Kevan Parekh discussed how artificial intelligence could support future income. It is not yet a product launch or a partnership announcement, and Apple has not said it will open a dedicated marketplace for AI agents.
That distinction matters, because an AI agent is a different kind of service from an ordinary app. It is software built to carry out tasks on a user’s behalf, whether that means organising information, conducting research, managing a schedule or handling routine jobs across several applications. If such tools become as common as apps are today, the platform that gives customers access to them will hold a strong position.
Could Be Available Via the App Store
One route raised on the call was the App Store. Parekh said Apple saw opportunities for artificial intelligence to encourage customers to upgrade their devices, while also creating revenue through third-party applications, partnerships and its own products. He did not explain how any such arrangement would work. In practice, the model is familiar: a user might download an AI assistant made by another firm, pay a subscription for its advanced features, and Apple would earn from eligible purchases or subscriptions, much as it already does for many paid apps.
The appeal is clear. Building a leading AI assistant demands huge investment, and the field is moving so fast that no single company can lead in every area. By welcoming outside agents, Apple could offer wider choice without building each service itself, while still earning from transactions on its store. For developers, access to hundreds of millions of iPhone, iPad and Mac users would be valuable. For users, the change could be gradual: a choice of specialist assistants kept within Apple’s familiar software. It would also raise questions Apple has not yet answered, about how much control it would keep over what an agent can see and do, since an assistant acting on someone’s behalf needs more trust than an ordinary app.
App Store Business Facing Pressure
The timing is no accident, because Apple’s App Store business is under more strain than ever before. For years, the store earned much of its income through commissions on paid applications, subscriptions and purchases made inside apps. Regulators and courts in several countries have now forced Apple to change some of its payment rules, affecting its ability to collect those commissions. In the United States, its legal battle with Epic Games led to changes allowing developers to direct users towards external payment options, and it has faced challenges in Europe and elsewhere.
The effect has been measurable. Outside estimates published in August suggested that Apple’s commission revenue from the App Store in the United States had fallen by around eighteen percent, with similar declines in Brazil and Japan after local rules changed. Weaker demand for mobile games has added further pressure.
Services Business Still Growing
Yet the wider services business is still performing strongly. On the earnings call, Parekh reported an all-time high in paid subscriptions, along with double-digit growth in subscriptions to third-party applications on the App Store. App Store performance in the September quarter was broadly similar to the previous year, and Apple expects services revenue in the December quarter to grow by approximately eight to nine percent, despite expected difficulties around third-party licensing.
In other words, the older sources of store income are being squeezed while the services operation as a whole continues to expand. A new revenue idea therefore does not need to replace the App Store overnight. It needs to add to it gradually, as customer habits change, and artificial intelligence fits that pattern, because it is likely to grow steadily over several years.
AI Could Become Apple’s Next Major Revenue Opportunity
Apple is already investing heavily in artificial intelligence through Apple Intelligence and improvements to its devices and software, in the belief that new features will encourage customers to upgrade. Offering third-party AI agents could give it a second way to benefit from the same trend, generating subscription and transaction revenue from services it did not have to create. Other firms would build the specialist assistants, while Apple would supply the audience and the trusted environment in which they operate.
Still, the exact business model remains unclear, particularly where restrictions already limit Apple’s commission practices, and the company has confirmed no dedicated store, no pricing and no partners. What the call did confirm is a shift in emphasis: Apple is beginning to talk about artificial intelligence not only as a feature that sells devices, but as a marketplace in its own right. Whether that marketplace takes shape, and on what terms, will be closely watched, because it will help decide whether the next era of software belongs to a handful of giants or to a much wider field of builders working through their platforms.
