The company refused access to BlueMail, which uses ChatGPT technology to generate email content, asserting that it needed more safeguards for a younger demographic.

Apple recently became embroiled in the discussion regarding generative AI when it blocked an Email app supported by ChatGPT due to worries about inappropriate material for younger viewers. This has sparked a debate on who holds the power to set artificial intelligence guidelines, as governments remain nonplussed about regulation right now. Aside from that, this might also lead to contention between Apple and Google, the two most prominent store operators of applications worldwide, over how much room they will give emergent AI apps wanting access to mobile devices.

BlueMail, a blocked email application from the New Jersey-based company Blix Inc., uses OpenAI’s ChatGPT to produce emails for its users based on their calendar and previous content. Blix developers told The Wall Street Journal that apple sent an email to the developers of Blix informing them that they had been blocked because it “does not appear to include content filtering at this time”. Apple gave them two possible choices: strengthen their filtering process or increase the minimum age restriction from four years old to 17 years old.

Ben Volach, the co-founder of Blix, told the Journal that his business does indeed use content filters. He also claimed that Apple’s revised age limit demand is unreasonable and would negatively affect the company. 

Volach shared, “Apple is making it really hard for us to bring innovation to our users”. In 2019, the co-founder of Blix actioned an antitrust suit against Apple after noticing that their app had been removed from the platform.

Apple told Gizmodo that software developers have the option to dispute app rejections through their App Review Board appeals system and is currently researching Blix’s grievance. When asked, Apple declined to divulge whether there are any fresh policies regarding chatbots or generative AI apps in place. Gizmodo reached out for comment from Blix but did not receive an immediate response.

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