Where Are the AI Apps We Were Promised?

The promise was grand. AI was supposed to revolutionize everything, from how we work to how industries operate. It was sold as the ultimate tool to boost productivity and decision-making, supposedly increasing the velocity of small teams tenfold. But where are all the groundbreaking apps?

The AI Boom: A Mirage?

Despite the hype, many are still using the same software and tools they were before the so-called AI boom. The anticipated disruption in various fields hasn't manifested as expected. This raises an important question: are we just impatient, or was the promise overstated?

The AI-AI Venn diagram is getting thicker. Yet, outside of specific niches like language models and some image processing, the everyday user might not see much difference. Tech conferences and press releases continue to trumpet AI's transformative power, but for the average person, it seems like business as usual.

Hype vs. Reality

Perhaps the issue lies in expectation versus reality. AI, for all its potential, is still a tool. Its utility depends on how it's applied, and those applications are still catching up to the promises made. We're building the financial plumbing for machines, but the infrastructure isn't fully operational yet.

This isn't a partnership announcement. It's a convergence of AI advancements and the need for practical, user-friendly implementations. If AI is to truly live up to its promise, it can't just be about flashy demos and theoretical capabilities. It needs to translate into real-world applications that enhance everyday tasks.

Why This Matters

So, what's the hold-up? The compute layer needs a payment rail. Without the right infrastructure and clear use cases, AI remains an impressive, yet underutilized, technology. If agents have wallets, who holds the keys? Developers and businesses must bridge the gap between AI's potential and its practical, everyday application.

The AI revolution isn't missing. It's just taking longer to reach its destination. With more investment in the compute and application layers, we might start to see the disruption we've been promised. Until then, we wait, cautiously optimistic about what AI can truly deliver.