Apple is reportedly battling with an email app creator over its use of AI-powered tools.
A report Thursday (March 2) by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) says that the tech giant has delayed OKing an update of the BlueMail app that uses artificial intelligence (AI) powered language tools due to concerns that it could generate content that’s not fit for younger users.
The news comes as tech companies are increasingly bringing their AI innovations to the center stage amid a growing war over the commercial potential for the technology, as well as questions about whether tools like ChatGPT are ready to go into widespread use.
Apple last week blocked the update because of fears that a new AI feature in BlueMail could display inappropriate content, the WSJ reported, citing an interview with Ben Volach, co-founder of BlueMail developer Blix Inc., and documents seen by the news outlet.
“Your app includes AI-generated content but does not appear to include content filtering at this time,” Apple’s app-review team said in a message to Blix seen by the WSJ.
The app review team said BlueMail should change the age restriction on the app to 17 and up. Volach argued the app has content filtering capabilities.
PYMNTS has contacted Apple for comment but has yet to hear a reply.
As noted here earlier this week, companies like Amazon, Google and Meta, which have long used proprietary AI tools in both front-end and back-end business processes, are now bringing this technology to the forefront as ChatGPT becomes more popular.
“Still, the next generation of AI isn’t without its pitfalls, as playing fast and loose with the emergent and intelligent technology can frequently result in the spread of misinformation and toxic content,” PYMNTS wrote.
Tech companies are nonetheless taking measures to emphasize that they prioritize AI uses to keep up with their rivals.
“In the short term, we’ll focus on building creative and expressive tools,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a public post earlier this week. “Over the longer term, we’ll focus on developing AI personas that can help people in a variety of ways.”
Meta’s AI strategy is designed to have “more relevant content recommended by our AI systems,” Zuckerberg said, instead of the current model where people “follow” accounts. On its most recent earnings call, the company said it would leverage AI in the short term to improve ad-targeting and user engagement with Reels, its short-form video product.
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