Apple reportedly removed over 100 apps that offer generative AI services from China’s App Store after the Chinese government imposed new laws concerning artificial intelligence, according to a recent report by South China Morning Post.
Apple began removing AI apps affected by the new laws on Tuesday, according to app analytics data quoted by the report. Some of the affected apps are high-profile ones that offer AI-powered features including a ChatGPT-like chatbot, translation, as well as text generation. One of the affected apps, ChatGAi Plus, was ranked ninth in the App Store’s paid apps charts before it was pulled from the App Store on Tuesday afternoon.
In response, Apple provided developers whose apps were affected with a hastened statement, stating it was forced to remove said apps “because they include content that is illegal in China.” The company also requested developers obtain a license from the Chinese information technology ministry that allows them to include AI services in their apps to avoid seeing their apps removed again from the App Store, adds the report.
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The crackdown comes as China approved “detailed regulation” concerning generative AI, with the regulation set to come into effect less than two weeks on August 15. According to SCMP, the new regulation encompasses all generative AI content services such as text, images, audio, and video. It mandates that companies seeking to publicly provide their products must encourage constructive content and “adhere to core socialist values,” banning any content that is thought to harm China’s national security.
The new rules also mean the developers must pass security clearance with the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC). Moreover, the regulations mandate that developers must ensure their algorithms and training data are free from any discriminatory elements based on factors such as ethnicity, faith, country, region, gender, age, occupation, and health.
