The company announced the changes on Monday, making AI Plus the lowest-priced paid AI subscription offered by a provider in the US market.

Vikas Kansal, product lead for Gemini AI subscriptions, said on X that the storage upgrade would reach users over the next few days.

Google AI Plus was introduced in January as an entry-level paid plan aimed at individual users and students. The service includes access to Gemini with higher usage limits, Omni Flash video generation, Google Flow creative tools, NotebookLM and AI-powered features in Gmail.

In Nigeria, alongside AI Plus at N7,700, Google still offers higher-priced plans. Google AI Pro costs N28,500 per month and includes 5TB of storage, expanded Gemini access and the company’s Pro model.

Google AI Ultra starts at N89,000 per month, offers at least 20TB of storage and provides significantly higher usage limits, as well as early access to new features.

The current price reduction follows a series of changes to Google’s AI subscription business this year. In April, the company increased storage on its AI Pro plan to 5TB without raising prices. A month later, it launched a new AI Ultra package and reduced the cost of its top-tier subscription from $250 to $200 per month.

With competition increasing among AI providers over subscription pricing, and premium plans taking over the market, companies have now started introducing cheaper options to attract more users.

This first became visible in India, one of the world’s fastest-growing AI markets. OpenAI launched ChatGPT Go there in August 2025 at about $4.60 per month, well below the price of its standard ChatGPT Plus subscription. Google followed with its own sub-$5 AI Plus offering in India later that year.

Google’s latest decision brings that pricing strategy to the United States, where subscription costs have so far played a smaller role in competition between major AI companies.

The development could increase pressure on competitors, particularly Anthropic, which has not introduced a lower-cost subscription tier or localised pricing in key international markets.

OpenAI and Anthropic are both preparing for public listings after filing confidential IPO paperwork, and growing price competition could become an important issue for investors assessing the long-term profitability of AI businesses.

This was driven by the high valuations in OpenAI and other Vision Fund assets.

The figure, far above analysts’ estimates of ¥207 billion, is a turnaround for the Japanese conglomerate and its most profitable quarter to date. 

The result reveals how Masayoshi Son’s focus on artificial intelligence is bolstering SoftBank’s growth and enhancing exposure to a sector many investors now fear may be entering a bubble.

The company’s Vision Fund unit reported a record investment gain of ¥3.5 trillion for the quarter, with OpenAI alone contributing ¥2.16 trillion. 

The rally in global technology stocks and a surge in AI-related valuations drove this growth, sending SoftBank’s shares to new highs. It was the Vision Fund’s third consecutive profitable quarter, a recovery from the losses that once characterised its track record.

SoftBank’s assertive push into AI reiterates Son’s conviction that artificial intelligence represents the next economic revolution. 

In March, the group led a $40 billion funding round that valued OpenAI at $300 billion. By October, it joined a consortium of investors acquiring $6.6 billion worth of OpenAI employee shares, at an even higher $500 billion valuation.

These initiatives are being financed through an intricate mix of asset sales, bonds, and loans. The company offloaded 32.1 million Nvidia shares in October, raising $5.83 billion, while also issuing bonds in yen, dollars, and euros worth more than ¥620 billion, $2.2 billion, and €1.7 billion respectively since April. 

It further secured an $8.5 billion bridge loan to fund its OpenAI investment and a $6.5 billion facility for its planned acquisition of semiconductor firm Ampere.

Son described this phase as the company’s “most ambitious investment period” since launching its Vision Fund vehicles in 2017 and 2019. He has long been known for his courageous, leveraged investments in transformative technologies. His early stake in Alibaba proved legendary, yet not all ventures, including WeWork, ended well.

However, even with the SoftBank historic profit, analysts warn of a potential “AI bubble,” as sky-high valuations risk overtaking real-world profitability.

According to a recent report by PwC titled, ‘Mid-Year Review and Updates: H2 2025 Economic Outlook’.

It highlighted how AI is rapidly transforming industries and is expected to power 40% of use cases by 2027, while the labour markets may face job role shifts that demand urgent reskilling.

The report noted that Africa accounted for under 1% of global AI companies, far behind the US and Europe.

However, it noted that out of the 2,400 organizations working on AI innovations in Africa, Nigeria ranked second, accounting for 19% of the total signalling potential for growth and investment.

Ranking African countries in terms of AI talent readiness, Nigeria ranked 18th, higher than Zambia and Botswana but below South Africa and Kenya.

Highlighting the critical issues affecting Nigeria’s AI development, it emphasized that Nigeria benefits from a large, youthful population and emerging tech hubs. However, lack of AI infrastructure, advanced skills training, and a unified national AI strategy.

To close the gap and emerge among the top tier AI destinations in Africa, PwC urged Nigeria to boost its AI education pipelines, invest in high-speed digital infrastructure, and deepen collaboration between government, academic, and industry partnerships to emerge among the continent’s top performers.

Per Reuters, company’s market capitalisation climbed to $3.86 trillion, putting it ahead of Microsoft’s $3.69 trillion valuation and making it the new front-runner in the space.

Nvidia’s surge comes on the back of its fiscal 2025 results, which showed an astonishing 114% year-on-year revenue jump to $130.5 billion. Its net income grew 145% to $72.9 billion. 

Most of that growth is concentrated in its data centre division, which now contributes over 80% of its total revenue, driven largely by hyperscalers like Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta who are aggressively expanding AI workloads.

Microsoft may not be far behind, with its valuation close on Nvidia’s heels. It is still doing great thanks to its investments in OpenAI, enterprise Copilot tools, and its AI-powered Azure cloud services. 

But for now, Nvidia sits at the top, powered by massive infrastructure deals and real-world deployment of its H100 and upcoming Blackwell GPUs, which are supporting the most complex AI systems across the globe.

Again, Meta’s market cap rose 14% to $1.86 trillion, Broadcom followed with a 13.9% increase to $1.3 trillion and Amazon also gained 7%, climbing to $2.33 trillion. All three benefited from strong investor confidence in their AI strategies and cloud infrastructure plays.

Meanwhile, Tesla was the outlier, its valuation slipped by 8.3% to $1.02 trillion. The drop came after a high-profile clash between CEO Elon Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump. 

Musk’s objection to Trump’s spending bill and the President’s response, threats to cut federal subsidies for Tesla and SpaceX, resulted in a 14% one-day drop in Tesla shares, wiping out $150 billion in value. The episode triggered investor jitters and regulatory speculation that has yet to settle.

Apple, though still among the top three with a $3.1 trillion market cap, has seen its momentum cool. Its December 2024 peak of $3.92 trillion is still unmatched. Slowing iPhone sales and delayed integration of advanced AI technologies have held back its valuation while rivals capitalise on faster innovation cycles.

Meanwhile, analysts are preparing for a new benchmark. “We believe both Nvidia and Microsoft will hit the $4 trillion market cap club this summer and then over the next 18 months the focus will be on the $5 trillion club … as this tech bull market is still early being led by the AI Revolution,” said Daniel Ives of Wedbush Securities.

Or where businesses rush to leverage artificial intelligence (AI), with 64% believing it will make their operations more productive—perhaps finally answering why Dave from accounting hasn’t submitted that report. 

AI, far from being a buzzword, has become the backbone of innovation, with the global AI market projected to balloon to $826.70 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 27.67% from 2025 to 2030.

Nonetheless, even with these numbers, the question of how we can ensure AI reaches its transformative state across industries, big and small, is still to be answered.

The truth is, AI is not just enhancing healthcare, finance, or manufacturing; it’s built to touch every corner of the economy. AI is expected to add $15 billion to Nigeria’s GDP by 2030 and drive 45% of total economic growth through product enhancements.

However, with nearly 40% of global jobs at stake, let’s see how AI can be a breath of new life into niche industries, rather than displacing them—sectors where AI hasn’t been fully leveraged but has huge changing power once well penetrated.

Why Niche Industries Matter

Niche industries, such as artisanal crafts, local fisheries, and cultural heritage preservation, may not grab headlines, but they are essential. These sectors:

• Preserve unique cultural identities,
• Support local economies, and
• Satisfy specialised consumer demands.

However, these industries usually combat inefficiencies, limited scalability, and dwindling interest, particularly from younger generations. Focusing on AI—a tool that promises to modernise these sectors while retaining their essence.

How AI Can Bolster Niche Industries

1. Handicrafts and Artisanal Goods

Challenges: Limited market reach, inefficient supply chains, and declining interest among younger generations.

AI Solutions: AI-powered e-commerce platforms can connect artisans with global buyers. Machine learning tools analyse consumer trends to recommend designs, while AI inventory systems reduce waste and optimise procurement.

2. Traditional Agriculture

Challenges: Low productivity and vulnerability to climate change.

AI Solutions: Predictive analytics can optimise planting schedules and forecast weather patterns. AI can also identify resilient heirloom crops, promoting biodiversity and sustainability.

3. Waste Management and Recycling

Challenges: Inefficiencies in sorting and recycling niche materials like e-waste.

AI Solutions: AI-powered robots can sort materials with precision, while machine learning models simplify recycling processes and predict market demand for recycled products.

4. Cultural Heritage Preservation

Challenges: Loss of historical artefacts, languages, and oral traditions due to inadequate preservation.

AI Solutions: AI creates digital replicas of artefacts, transcribes ancient languages, and develops great VR experiences to bring history to life.

5. Local Fisheries and Aquaculture

Challenges: Overfishing, unpredictable environmental changes, and low yields.

AI Solutions: Real-time analytics track fish populations and predict breeding seasons, while AI sensors monitor water quality and automate feeding processes, ensuring sustainability.

Deterrents to Adoption

Though we see obvious possibilities, AI adoption in these industries can be limited by:

• Cost: High initial investment deters small businesses.
• Technical Expertise: Lack of knowledge and training slows integration.
• Cultural Resistance: Fear of losing traditional methods and human touch.

For AI to flourish in niche industries, these obstacles must be addressed.

Some industries are already leveraging AI to great effect:

• Aquaculture: AI sensors are being used to monitor water quality and automate feeding for higher yields.
• Artisanal Goods: AI platforms help artisans optimise supply chains and expand global reach.
• Cultural Preservation: AI restores endangered languages, making them accessible for education and research.

Strategies for Revving AI Adoption

• Affordable AI Solutions: Develop cost-effective tools targeting small businesses.
• Education and Training: Provide industry professionals with the skills to use AI effectively.
• Collaborations: Ensure partnerships between tech companies and niche industry stakeholders.
• Policy Support: Governments should incentivise AI adoption through subsidies and tax breaks.

Balancing Innovation and Identity

AI doesn’t have to boom at the expense of tradition. The combination of cutting-edge technology with a deep respect for cultural heritage and localities can modernise niche industries without erasing their identity.

So, while adopting AI, we must learn how we can ensure this technology serves as a tool for empowerment rather than displacing not just jobs, but our heritage. We need collaboration, innovation, and a focus on equity, ensuring even the smallest industries benefit from this trillion-dollar scale-up.

Some of the prominent key players are:

• GliaCloud (Taiwan)
• Designs.ai (Singapore)
• Pictory (US)
• Raw Shorts (US)
• Wochit (US)
• Vimeo (US)
• Vedia (US)
• Lumen5 (Canada) and many more…

Consulting Services segment is estimated to lead the text-to-video AI market in 2022

Consulting services offer unique services that help businesses to realize how many opportunities come from implementing any AI solution into their business.

Consulting services deal with complex inquiries and have numerous clients that demand constant changes in product and service offerings.

The demand for consulting services is increasing globally due to the rising pressure on organizations to stay competitive in their respective markets.

Large Enterprises segment is expected to have a higher growth rate during the forecast period

Organizations with more than 1,000 employees are categorized under large enterprises. Large enterprises are witnessing an increased need to deploy text-to-video AI solutions and services to efficiently manage their large number of devices spread across geographies.

Large enterprises spend significant amounts on becoming technologically proficient. Large enterprises spend significantly on their devices in the business industry to enhance their business operations to remain competitive in the global market.

Education segment is set to emerge as a larger market during the forecast period

With the emergence and adoption of new technologies such as wireless connectivity, high-speed connectivity technology, cloud, AR, VR and more, learning is no longer limited to the classroom.

The new generation of learners today requires the freedom and flexibility to learn however they want. Especially after COVID-19, learning is shifted to videos than texts. The anytime, anywhere, and anyone education culture has revolutionized the education industry.

Asia Pacific AI Market is projected to grow at the fastest growth rate during the forecast period

Asia Pacific consists of countries, such as Japan, China, India, Australia, and New Zealand. The countries in Asia Pacific region are projected to register high growth rates in the text-to-video AI market.

The region is expected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Generative AI is still evolving in the region; major players are expected to invest in text-to-video AI in the upcoming years.