Apple delays European launch of new AI features, blames EU tech rules

Apple's ambitious push into artificial intelligence has hit a snag in Europe. The tech giant, which unveiled a suite of new AI features and software updates for its iPhones, iPads, and Macs earlier this month, has revealed that three of these features will not be available to EU users this year.

The delayed features include:

Phone Mirroring on macOS Sequoia: Allows iPhone users to mirror their phone's screen and interact with it directly on their Mac computers.

SharePlay Screen Sharing Enhancements: Improves the collaborative screen sharing experience within the SharePlay feature.

Apple Intelligence: Leverages AI to generate text, images, and various types of content based on user prompts. This feature was slated to be available on the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPads and Macs equipped with Apple's M1 chip or newer.

EU's Digital Markets Act Raises Regulatory Concerns

Apple attributes the delay to regulatory uncertainties arising from the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA). The DMA, which aims to promote competition and prevent large tech platforms from unfairly dominating the market, introduces strict interoperability requirements.

"Specifically, we are concerned 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 said in a statement to Reuters.

The company expresses apprehension that adhering to the DMA's interoperability mandates could potentially create vulnerabilities that could be exploited to compromise user data.

Despite the delay, Apple emphasized to Reuters its commitment to finding a solution that would allow it to bring these AI features to its European customers without compromising their safety. "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."