Meta VS Apple: What Their Battle Means For AI Startups

这段视频的文字稿记录了 Dalton 和 Michael 之间的一段对话，他们深入探讨了不断演变的技术竞争格局，借鉴过往经验来理解当下并预测未来。他们剖析了从 Web 时代到移动时代的转变，以及现在人工智能的兴起，将其视为苹果和 Facebook 等科技巨头之间潜在的新战场，并为在这个复杂环境中摸索的初创企业提供了相关见解。 他们讨论的第一个“战场”是 Web 时代（大约 2000-2009 年），其特点是网站的兴起以及病毒式电子邮件营销作为主要的增长机制。浏览器充当了一个中立的平台，使应用开发者能够绕过安装桌面软件的需求。Facebook 在这个时代崛起成为主导应用，而当时的苹果，在史蒂夫·乔布斯回归后，仍在寻找自己的定位。 对话随后转向移动时代，在这个时代，苹果凭借 App Store 的出现宣告胜利。在 iPhone 出现之前，智能手机已经存在，但应用分发是分散的，需要侧载。iPhone 最初发布时并没有 App Store，但在有人提出苹果没有足够的工程师来开发所有需要的应用程序后，史蒂夫·乔布斯最终被说服创建了一个。苹果税也被内置在 App Store 系统中。Facebook 迟迟没有进入移动领域，不得不依靠收购 Instagram 和 WhatsApp 等公司来增强其移动业务。 随着移动时代的成熟，iPhone 升级的频率正在降低，这表明创新已进入平台期。与此形成对比的是，ChatGPT 等人工智能应用的快速增长，ChatGPT 目前是 App Store 中排名第一的应用程序，并且可以在非常旧的手机上运行。这一点很重要，因为苹果并没有从手机上运行该应用程序中获得任何收入。因此，讨论转向了人工智能的未来。 两位演讲者认为，下一个技术战场可能围绕人工智能展开。Facebook 意识到自己进入移动领域的时间较晚，似乎正在大力投资开源人工智能，并探索眼镜等新平台，希望这一次能够掌控平台。谷歌、微软、亚马逊和苹果都在争夺购买或启动人工智能技术。 开源人工智能被认为是未来最重要的方面。Facebook 正在采取行动参与到未来中，并尽可能地开放以进行竞争。他们还声称，对苹果来说，最大的问题是“维持现状”，继续从 App Store 收取“税”，而不必改变和构建人工智能基础设施。 他们随后将谈话转向帮助初创企业。他们为在这个环境中摸索的初创企业提供指导。他们强调，消费者产品的门槛比以往任何时候都高，TikTok 和 YouTube 占据了大量的注意力。然而，他们也指出，可供初创企业使用的工具也变得更好，尤其是在人工智能领域，从而能够创建个性化的体验。 语音、电子邮件和短信等开放平台的重要性被强调，因为与 App Store 相比，它们受到的监管较少。鼓励初创企业探索这些平台并识别未被充分利用的功能，尤其是在新的 iOS 版本中。 最终，现在判断谁是下一个技术战场的赢家还为时过早。有可能是那些大公司领先。讨论还暗示了人工智能创新可能被捆绑到现有的操作系统或平台中，从而使独立应用程序变得过时。 Dalton 和 Michael 承认在 iPhone 等主导平台上构建的过往优势，这让所有人都受益。然而，他们对宣布人工智能竞赛的赢家仍持谨慎态度，理由是快速追随者有可能颠覆市场。他们留给听众的信息是，过去的战役应该被视为指南，而未来可能与我们想象的不同。

The video transcript presents a conversation between two individuals, Dalton and Michael, who delve into the evolving landscape of technology battles, drawing parallels from the past to understand the present and predict the future. They dissect the transitions from the web era to the mobile era and now, the emergence of AI as a potential new battleground between tech giants like Apple and Facebook, offering insights relevant to startups navigating this complex environment. The first "battle" discussed is the web era (roughly 2000-2009), characterized by the rise of websites and viral email marketing as primary growth mechanisms. The browser served as a neutral platform, empowering app developers to bypass the need for desktop software installations. Facebook emerged as the dominant application in this era, while Apple, then under the returning Steve Jobs, was still finding its footing. The conversation then shifts to the mobile era, where Apple, with the advent of the App Store, claimed victory. Prior to the iPhone, smartphones existed, but app distribution was fragmented and required sideloading. The iPhone initially launched without an app store, but Steve Jobs was convinced to create one after arguments were made that Apple didn't have enough engineers to make all the apps needed. The Apple tax was built in the App Store system. Facebook, late to the mobile game, had to rely on acquiring companies like Instagram and WhatsApp to bolster its mobile presence. As the mobile era matures, the frequency of iPhone upgrades diminishes, suggesting a plateau in innovation. This potential slowdown is contrasted by the rapid growth of AI applications like ChatGPT, which is currently the number one app in the App Store and can run on very old phones. This is an important point since Apple does not make any revenue from running that application on your phone. And so the discussion shifts to the future of AI. The speakers suggest that the next tech battle could be centered around AI. Facebook, mindful of its late entry into mobile, seems to be investing heavily in open-source AI and exploring new platforms like glasses, aiming to own the platform this time around. Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Apple are all in the game to either buy or start up AI technology. Open-source AI is seen as the most important aspect of this future. Facebook is making moves to be a part of the future and is opening up as much as possible to compete. They also made claims that the more trouble thing for Apple is the "status quo" to continue to take the "tax" from the App Store and not have to change and build AI infrastructure. They then shift the conversation towards helping people with startups. They offer guidance for startups navigating this landscape. They emphasize that the bar for consumer products is higher than ever, with TikTok and YouTube commanding significant attention spans. However, they also note that the tools available for startups are better, especially in the AI space, enabling the creation of personalized experiences. The importance of open platforms like voice, email, and SMS is highlighted, as they are less regulated compared to the App Store. Startups are encouraged to explore these platforms and identify under-exploited features, particularly in new iOS releases. Ultimately, it's too early to say who the winner of this next tech battle is. It is possible that the big guys are the ones in the lead. The discussion also alludes to the possibility of AI innovations being bundled into existing operating systems or platforms, rendering standalone applications obsolete. Dalton and Michael acknowledge the historical benefits of building on dominant platforms like the iPhone, which lifted all boats. However, they remain cautious about declaring a winner in the AI race, citing the potential for fast followers to disrupt the market. They leave listeners with the message that past battles should be seen as guides, and the future may be different than we think.