AI is moving beyond traditional apps as browser and desktop environments become AI-enabled with offerings like Atlas, Comet, Dia, Claude in Chrome, and Gemini in Chrome, while standalone desktop AI apps for note-taking and productivity (Fireflies, Fathom, Otter, TL;DV, Granola) grow and AI features embed across tools (Claude in Excel, Claude in PowerPoint, ChatGPT for Excel, Gemini in Workspace).

Creative AI tools are expanding from image generation to a broader mix that includes video, music, and voice, with image generation remaining central but complemented by video and audio-focused products, and notable shifts in rankings such as Midjourney's decline and Veo 3 gaining traction.

AI adoption reveals three regional ecosystems, with Western usage concentrated in the US, India, Brazil, the UK, and Indonesia, while China and Russia show distinct patterns supported by local products and policy, such as DeepSeek and Yandex.

ChatGPT remains the leading consumer AI product on web and mobile with rapid weekly-active-user growth to about 900 million, while competitors like Gemini and Claude are gaining paid subscribers and overlapping usage in the expanding market.

Measurement implications: Traditional web/mobile rankings may undercount AI usage as users move from destination apps to AI features and embedded environments, signaling a need to update methodologies to capture broader AI adoption.

Overview shift: The sixth edition expands from AI-native products to include any consumer product where generative AI is core, naming examples like CapCut, Canva, Notion, Picsart, Freepik, and Grammarly, while noting most top products remain AI-native.

The rise of agents and agentic AI: Emergence of vibe coding and vertical agents (Lovable, Cursor, Bolt, OpenClaw) with OpenClaw’s acquisition hinting at mainstream-ready agent capabilities, alongside Manus and Genspark expanding end-to-end task handling.

App ecosystems and switching costs are increasing as ChatGPT and Claude build connector ecosystems (GPTs, Apps, MCPs), with ChatGPT aiming to be the default starting point for internet interactions via a “sign in with ChatGPT” identity layer.