Apple Blocks ChatGPT Update: Here's What Investors And Users Need To Know

Apple Inc AAPL has delayed the approval of an email-app update for artificial intelligence (A.I.) tools like ChatGPT citing concerns about inappropriate content for children.

Email app BlueMail had an update blocked, according to documents viewed by the Wall Street Journal. The new update from BlueMail uses ChatGPT to help automate email writing utilizing copy from previous emails and calendar events.

Apple’s app-review team said ChatGPT — backed by Microsoft Corporation MSFT — told BlueMail developer Blix Inc: “Your app includes AI-generated content but does not appear to include content filtering at this time."

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Apple wants BlueMail to change its age restriction to 17 and older, or include content filtering. The app is currently set for all users that are 4 years or older.

Blix co-founder Ben Volach told WSJ that it would be unfair to change the age restrictions to 17 years or older as other apps with A.I. functions don’t face the same restrictions.

The Google Play Store, for example, which is owned by Alphabet Inc GOOGGOOGL, does not require age restrictions or content filtering put in place.

“Apple is making it really hard for us to bring innovation to our users,” he said. “We want fairness. If we’re required to be 17-plus, then others should also have to.”

Developers can challenge a rejected app or update with Apple's App Review Board, and Blix's complaint is currently being investigated.

Bing, the search engine from Microsoft, recently released an updated version of its app for Apple’s App Store and Google’s Android Play Store that includes ChatGPT. The Bing app is set to a restriction of 17 years or older due to the ability to find adult content through the search engine.

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The blocked update by Apple could serve as a major test for the use of A.I. and ChatGPT to be used in apps.

While the use cases are massive for chatbots, users have also been upset for being provided incorrect information by ChatGPT and also by Bard, a new language model from Alphabet.

Users have also complained about several chatbots having a bias towards certain individuals and political ideals.

Apple CEO Tim Cook called A.I. “a major focus of ours” during the company’s recent quarterly earnings call. The tech giant has been quiet in the generative A.I. sector currently seeing the headlines dominated by Microsoft and Alphabet.

The WSJ also points out how Volach and Apple have a contentious past. In 2019, Blix slapped the iPhone maker with an antitrust lawsuit, which was eventually dismissed by a federal judge.

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