Apple said on Friday it was delaying the European rollout of some recently announced AI features due to “regulatory uncertainty” related to the EU's landmark new law aimed at curbing the power of big tech companies.
“We do not expect to be able to make these features available to EU users this year,” a spokesperson for the iPhone maker said, citing the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Earlier this month, Apple unveiled “Apple Intelligence,” a suite of AI features for its popular devices, in an effort to reassure users that the company isn't missing out on the AI boom.
The announcement includes a partnership with OpenAI to make ChatGPT available to iPhone users upon request.
Apple said the feature, as well as its enhancements to iPhone Mirroring and SharePlay screen sharing, were on hold due to concerns that “DMA interoperability requirements may force us to compromise the integrity of our products in ways that put users' privacy and data security at risk.”
Powered entirely by the company's proprietary technology, Apple Intelligence will enable users to create custom emoji based on descriptions of everyday language and generate quick summaries of emails in their inbox.
every Monday
With exclusive interviews and in-depth coverage of the region's most pressing business issues, Prospects has become the go-to source for staying ahead of Indonesia's rapidly evolving business environment.
Thank you for signing up for our newsletter!
Check your email to subscribe to our newsletter.
View more newsletters
“We are committed to working with the European Commission to find a solution that allows us to provide these capabilities without compromising the safety of our EU customers,” the company added.
The DMA has drawn up a list of dos and don'ts for specially designated internet gatekeepers, including Apple, to promote fair competition in Europe.
“The EU is an attractive market with 450 million potential users and has always been open for business to any company wanting to offer its services in the internal European market,” an EU spokesman said.
“Gatekeepers are welcome to offer their services in Europe as long as they comply with our rules, which aim to ensure fair competition,” the EU added.
European Union competition chief Margrethe Vestager warned on Tuesday that the company was not complying with the DMA as the EU conducts an investigation into Apple's business practices.
“The issues with Apple are numerous and we believe they are very serious, and we're surprised that there are so many allegations that Apple is not complying with the rules,” Vestager told CNBC.
Her comments came after the Financial Times reported that Apple was on the verge of being charged in connection with the investigation, citing people familiar with the matter.
The DMA gives the Commission the power to investigate, fine and impose structural remedies on gatekeepers that don’t comply with the rules.
Fines could amount to up to 10% of annual global turnover, with repeat offenders facing fines of up to 20%.
