GoKawiilTL;DR A recent report shows image- and video-related AI features result in far more downloads than newer models.
Both ChatGPT and Gemini saw huge spikes in downloads following the launches of their respective image generation tools last year.
However, while OpenAI monetized it well, generating $70 million, Google made only a small fraction from its Nano Banana success.
OpenAI recently released its Images 2.0 model, and it has already kicked off a new trend that lets you imagine yourself in the same frame as your younger self. And this is not the first trend sparked by new image models, with earlier ones like the Ghibli trend set off by ChatGPT or the 3D figurine trend fueled by Google’s Nano Banana. According to experts, these phenomena also led to the fastest growth in apps, which, in turn, helped generate revenue faster than any other AI model releases.
AI-based image generation and manipulation contribute a large share to the growth of AI chatbots based on large language models. This was recently reported (via TechCrunch) by Appfigures, an app store optimization and analytics platform.
Appfigures
Although new model releases with conversational features, complex problem-solving, and voice-based features previously drove growth for AI chatbots, image-related tools have largely steered downloads for these apps. According to Appfigures’ data, ChatGPT accrued nearly 12 million new downloads in just four weeks after it introduced the viral image generator powered by its GPT-4o model last year in March, which set the internet on fire with its Ghibli image trend. Similarly, Google’s Gemini gained over 22 million downloads after the release of Nano Banana, based on the Gemini 2.5 Flash model, last year in August.
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According to the platform’s findings, the introduction of image and video-centric features and models, on average, resulted in a 6.5 times the usual increase in the number of downloads. OpenAI’s Ghibli phenomenon led to 4.5X the growth ChatGPT otherwise witnessed during milestone launches, such as that of GPT-4o, GPT-4.5, GPT-5.
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