Boneless chicken wings are actually trim meat from the breast. The boneless chicken breast are cut into portion sizes, and the trim for along time was a by product. There wasn't much of a market for it.
Chicken wings are one of the most expensive parts of a chicken, so the restaurant industry began to look for cheaper alternatives to wings. The trim meat from the breast fit the bill and the boneless wing was formed. It helped the restaurant industry by lowering their cost. It helped the chicken industry by providing a market for their trim meat.
I personally do not care for boneless wings. If I eat wings, I want the real deal.