Nvidia Built The AI Boom—Apple May Control What Comes Next

InnovationConsumer TechNvidia Built The AI Boom—Apple May Control What Comes NextByTim Bajarin,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Tim Bajarin covers the tech industry’s impact on PC and CE markets.Follow AuthorJun 05, 2026, 10:00am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Nvidia and Apple are two powerhouses helping to define the future of AI.NurPhoto via Getty ImagesNvidia’s Role in the AI BoomNvidia has become the face of the AI revolution by doing what early winners always do: making the future tangible. It’s a familiar pattern. In the PC cycle, those were the silicon suppliers. In the Internet era, it was all about building infrastructure. But those cycles also reveal something more important—the companies that capture attention first are not always the ones that capture the most value.However, there is always nuance when leveraging technology in transitions. That nuance is in Apple today.Nvidia deserves recognition for selling the future that’s coming true. Its products will power tomorrow's data centers and the market knows it. Yet that doesn't mean this story is over—not by a long shot. The infrastructure of the future will still need to be consumed, and that's where another company steps in.Apple’s Position in the Next PhaseApple is where the AI era story continues, based on what we are seeing now with Nvidia and its data centers.For starters, AI isn’t merely the technology behind the scenes in a data center. At some point, it needs to be used by real people, not just engineers building AI. Billions of consumers around the globe will experience it firsthand. They'll feel it through their devices, apps, ecosystems and digital experiences.Apple has everything needed to facilitate AI at scale. It has the device that defined modern consumer tech, the software development infrastructure and the largest app marketplace...