Buying a MacBook for AI is great if you were already going to buy a MacBook, as this makes it a lot more cost competitive. It's also great if what you're doing is REALLY privacy sensitive, such as if you're a lawyer, where uploading client data to OpenAI is probably not appropriate or legal.
But in general, I find the appeal is narrow because either consumer GPUs are better for training in general and inferencing at scale[1]. Cloud services also allow the vast majority of individuals to get higher quality inferencing at lower cost. The result is Apple Silicon's appeal being quite niche.
[1] Mind you, Nvidia considers this a licensing violation, not that GeoHot has historically ever been all scared to violate a EULA and force a company to prove its terms have legal force.
But in general, I find the appeal is narrow because either consumer GPUs are better for training in general and inferencing at scale[1]. Cloud services also allow the vast majority of individuals to get higher quality inferencing at lower cost. The result is Apple Silicon's appeal being quite niche.
[1] Mind you, Nvidia considers this a licensing violation, not that GeoHot has historically ever been all scared to violate a EULA and force a company to prove its terms have legal force.