According to reports, Apple is currently battling with an email app creator over its use of AI-powered tools.
In such a scenario, a report was published on Thursday, March 2 by the Wall Street Journal on the delay in approval of an update to the BlueMail program that employs artificial intelligence (AI) driven language capabilities. This occurs because of worries that it could produce content that is inappropriate for younger users.
The news comes at a time when tech companies are increasingly putting their AI breakthroughs center stage amid a heated debate over the technology’s commercial potential and concerns about whether technologies like ChatGPT are prepared for mass adoption.
According to the WSJ, who cited an interview with Ben Volach, co-founder of BlueMail developer Blix Inc., and papers viewed by the news organisation, Apple last week denied the update out of concern that a new AI capability in BlueMail could display improper content. It has even recommended the use of 17+ age restriction for the app.
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Into the details
The newest ChatGPT chatbot from OpenAI is used by BlueMail’s new AI functionality to aid automate email writing utilizing the contents of previous emails and calendar events. ChatGPT enables people to have conversations with an AI that appears to be human-like and is capable of generating advanced long-form content on a range of subjects.
Last week while giving information to the developer reviewed by the Journal, the review team of Apple said- “Your app includes AI-generated content but does not appear to include content filtering at this time.”
According to the documents, the app review team recommended that BlueMail should raise its minimum age requirement to 17 and older or implement content filtering because the app may produce content that is not suitable for all audiences. Mr. Volach says it has content-filtering capabilities. The age limit for using the app is presently set at 4 years old and up. For categories of apps that may include everything from foul language to sexual content and references to drugs, Apple sets an age restriction of 17 years old. Mr. Volach claims that this request is unreasonable and that Apple users already have access to other apps with similar AI capabilities and no age limits. He said- “Apple is making it really hard for us to bring innovation to our users.”
According to a spokeswoman, Apple is looking into Blix’s complaint and developers can appeal a decision made by the App Review Board. With the help of ChatGPT, an OpenAI chatbot, so-called generative AI has become one of the most keenly studied emerging technologies in recent years.
The technology has already sparked debate. With the launch of ChatGPT-powered Microsoft Corporation’s Bing search engine, early testers expressed concern over the chatbot’s responses, which included inaccurate information as well as ones that appeared irrational and enraged. The Bing update was defended by Microsoft, which has spent billions on OpenAI, as a work-in-progress.
Apple’s attempt to impose an age limit to help regulate language-model-based AI content is a sign that the tech giant is carefully observing the new technology and the dangers it poses. The business has always maintained that in order to protect the privacy and security of its devices, it must carefully curate and vet the software that may be downloaded on the iPhone and iPad through its App Store.
Recently, Microsoft updated the Bing smartphone app and added ChatGPT capability to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The age restriction of 17+ that Apple is requesting for BlueMail applies to Bing in the iPhone App Store, but there are no age limitations for Bing on the Google Play store.
According to a Microsoft spokesman, Bing on the App Store already has a 17 and up age restriction because the programme could locate pornographic content. A week after submitting the app update for evaluation, BlueMail received Apple’s rejection. Until he received an answer, Mr. Volach claimed that Apple tested a new version of the enhanced software every day. On the Google Play Store, BlueMail was able to upgrade its Android BlueMail app.
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Summing it up
According to Mr. Volach, Apple unfairly disparages BlueMail. A greater age restriction could prevent the program from being distributed to prospective new users because it contains content screening, the user stated. Mr. Volach added that many other programs advertised on Apple’s App Store as having a ChatGPT-like feature do not have age limits.
In the past, Apple has occasionally found a problem with an app that prompts the firm to more broadly impose a new regulation. According to Philip Shoemaker, a former senior director of Apple’s App Store review team who left in 2016, initial inconsistencies in the application of App Store policies—especially new policies—is not unusual.
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