Apple delays launch of 3 key AI features in Europe due to EU rules 

Apple will delay the rollout of three AI features in Europe due to concerns about the European Union’s rules on competition, Bloomberg reported on Friday. The company said it will suspend the launch of iPhone Mirroring, SharePlay Screen Sharing, and Apple Intelligence in the EU until 2025.

Also read: Apple will not pay OpenAI for ChatGPT integration in iOS18 

Apple revealed the three features at its annual conference for developers on June 10. The ChatGPT-assisted features, set to be released in the U.S. around September, will be able to search through a user’s phone data, like emails, texts, and photos, to provide specific information based on user prompts.

Apple blames EU’s Digital Markets Act for the delay

According to the Bloomberg report, Apple, the world’s most valuable firm, blamed the delay on the EU’s tough Digital Markets Act (DMA). It said the rules would force it to compromise the security of its devices. The DMA requires Apple to ensure its gadgets work well with competing products.

“Specifically, we are concerned that the interoperability requirements of the DMA could force us to compromise the integrity of our products in ways that risk user privacy and data security,” the company said.

“We are committed to collaborating with the European Commission in an attempt to find a solution that would enable us to deliver these features to our EU customers without compromising their safety,” it added.

The European Commission, the executive arm of the 27-member EU, said Apple could operate in Europe as long as it complied with the bloc’s “fair competition” rules, per the report. The company is already facing a fine of 1.8 billion euros ($1.95 billion) for violating DMA rules in a separate case.

Launched in March 2022, the DMA aims to prevent the anti-competitive behaviors of Big Tech companies. It stops the entities from favoring their services over those of rivals, locking in users’ data, and withholding transparency about their use of advertising data.

Also read: Apple faces challenges in its AI push in China

The firm said the features under Apple Intelligence – its suite of AI services – would be available on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPad and Mac with its M1 chip and later versions. iPhone Mirroring on MacOS Sequoia allows users to view and interact with the phone’s screen directly Mac computer.

Cryptopolitan Reporting by Jeffrey Gogo

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