AI was meant to be the ultimate differentiator, yet it’s quickly becoming the ultimate middle-of-the-road feature. The very tools that make product development faster and cheaper for everyone are also diminishing the unique value of the product itself, meaning technical superiority will no longer be a source of long-term advantage. For leaders looking ahead, the strategic advantage shifts from building a better product to building a stronger brand.

Championing this perspective is Yves Benchimol, CEO and co-founder of WeWard. Benchimol is a Forbes Top 20 French Leader, with a background in machine learning and applied mathematics from École Polytechnique and UC Berkeley. As a speaker at the recent MAU conference, he has a front-row seat to the industry’s AI obsession, and what the true impacts are for companies.

The innovation paradox: “With AI, the product itself will eventually have less value,” Benchimol states. “In a few years, anyone will be able to create a similar mobile app for a very low cost. The race to adopt AI is also a race toward the commoditization of the product, and we have to prepare for that reality today.” He warns that while early adopters gain a temporary advantage, the window is closing, forcing a fundamental shift in strategy. “The downside of AI is that everyone gets the same tools. The real question is, what will you have when having the best product is no longer enough?”

A good problem to have: While many in the industry lament rising customer acquisition costs, Benchimol offers a surprisingly optimistic reframe, contending that high CAC is a fair reflection of a healthier, more profitable market. “User spending and paywall conversions have increased dramatically since 2019. The lifetime value of a mobile user is simply much higher,” he says. “When you’re at MAU, you can feel it. Developers have money to spend because they are making money, scaling their acquisition budgets to millions per month because the payback is there.” He even predicts that potential fee reductions from Apple—spurred by regulatory pressure from cases like the one with Epic—would only fuel higher CAC as developers reinvest their increased margins back into growth.