The Wall Street Journal has reported that Apple delayed the approval of an update for an AI-powered email app. The app in question is BlueMail, and its update was blocked last week, according to the report. Ben Volach, co-founder of Blix Inc., which develops BlueMail, was quoted in the report. BlueMail’s email app uses a customized version of OpenAI’s GPT-3 language model, which could be the reason behind the delay in approval by Apple
According to WSJ, Ben Volach, co-founder of Blix Inc. and developer of BlueMail, disagrees with Apple‘s decision to delay the app update. “Apple is making it really hard to bring innovation to our users,” Volach stated. He also claimed that the request was unfair, given that other apps featuring AI capabilities are not subject to the same rules.
As per recent reports, Apple has delayed the App Store approval for an update to BlueMail, citing concerns that it may generate inappropriate content for children. The company claims that BlueMail doesn’t include content filtering and is not suitable for children. Additionally, Apple stated that since the app could potentially generate adult content, it must carry a 17+ age restriction.
In order to obtain approval from Apple, BlueMail may have to raise its age restriction to 17 and older, or incorporate content filtering that meets Apple’s standards. The app’s current age restriction is set at users aged four and above. An Apple spokesperson stated that developers can contest rejections through the App Review Board process and that they are currently examining Blix Inc’s complaint.
Interestingly, BlueMail and Apple have a history of tense relations. Blix Inc. supported Fortnite maker Epic Games in its legal battle against Apple, and the developer is one of the founding members of the Coalition for App Fairness, which was established to challenge the commission that Apple takes from the App Store. Additionally, the developer filed a lawsuit alleging that Apple’s ‘Sign In With Apple’ feature violated one of its patents.
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
