WASHINGTON: Apple said on Friday it would delay the rollout of its recently announced AI features in Europe because of “regulatory uncertainties” linked to the EU’s new landmark legislation to curb the power of big tech.

Citing the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), a spokesperson for the iPhone-making juggernaut said “we do not believe that we will be able to roll out these features to our EU users this year”.

Apple earlier this month unveiled “Apple Intelligence”, its suite of AI features for its coveted devices as it looks to reassure users that it is not falling behind on the AI frenzy.

The announcement included a partnership with OpenAI that would make ChatGPT available to iPhone users on request.

Apple said the feature, as well as its iPhone Mirroring and SharePlay Screen Sharing enhancements, were put on hold over concern “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”.

Apple Intelligence, which runs only on the company’s in-house technology, will enable users to create their own emojis based on a description in everyday language, or to generate brief summaries of emails in the mailbox.

“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,” the company added.

In an effort to instill fair competition in Europe, the DMA sets out a list of dos and don’ts for the specially designated internet gatekeepers that include Apple.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2024