News overnight that the two biggest companies in the world, Apple and Nvidia, are expected to join a funding round for ChatGPT maker OpenAI is eye-opening. It raises several questions about the future of the industry (and billions of dollars in market value).

The investment is reportedly going to total more than $US1 billion ($1.47 billion), and form an unlikely cap table alliance between former arch enemies Microsoft and Apple, but here’s why we think each company needs it to happen.