Apple blocks updates to an email client with ChatGPT integration

With the recent rapid worldwide popularity of ChatGPT chatbots, many major technology companies in the industry are also rushing to develop and integrate their own AI chatbot models into hardware products. No one wants to slow down and then lose market share. As a result, many companies have begun to 'tighten' the operation of ChatGPT as well as services that integrate ChatGPT on their platforms. For example, Apple recently blocked an App Store update for an email client with ChatGPT integration.

As reported by The Wall Street Journal, Apple recently actively blocked an update of the BlueMail email client developed by Blix - the same company that has repeatedly filed antitrust lawsuits against Apple.

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The update that Apple blocked contains a feature that integrates with OpenAI's ChatGPT tool to support automatic email writing on BlueMail. Talking about the decision, Apple has expressed concern about this possibility, saying that because this is AI-generated content without any filters, it may not be suitable for a certain audience. specific goods, such as children. That's also why Blix later suggested adding content filtering or changing the minimum age limit to 17 years or older.

In fact, Blix co-founder Ben Volach also disagrees with Apple's stance. He thinks that the built-in ChatGPT itself already has a content filtering feature. In addition, changing the age restriction to 17 years or older could seriously affect a user's ability to discover apps, as apps in this age-restricted bracket often contain pornographic content, mention drugs or use profanity. BlueMail currently has an age rating of 4 and up.

Volach also argued that apps with similar functionality were made available in the App Store without age restrictions. The case of Bing, for example, which also has a new AI chatbot integration, already has an Apple-recommended 17 age rating, but this is justified due to the search engine's ability to display adult content.

Currently, Apple says it is looking closely at BlueMail's complaint, and welcomes any other developers with similar problems to file a complaint directly.

Lesley Montoya

Update 07 March 2023