It’s not a good day for the EU Apple users who are hoping for the good news of Apple Intelligence. There has been yet another story about Apple’s ongoing dispute with the EU’s governing authorities over various issues, including artificial intelligence. Politico reported that a new AI pact was put forward by the EU which has gained prominent signatories like OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft. However, Apple is a holdout in this case due to the ongoing dispute.
Apple’s opponent of the AI pact finds an unlikely ally. To make Apple Intelligence features available to EU users, Apple has stated that it is “engaged” with regulatory bodies in the EU. However, as evidenced by the company’s most recent action, things are not looking too good. Notably, 115 different companies signed the newly proposed AI agreement. Many of them rank among the leading companies in the AI market worldwide.
The companies that have agreed to the EU’s AI pact include major companies such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, Adobe, Samsung, and Snap. However, the pact has seen two major holdouts. As mentioned earlier, Apple has chosen not to sign the pact, surprisingly along with Meta.
Politico reported, “A European Union initiative to speed up measures to control artificial intelligence got off to a rocky start on Wednesday as technology giants Meta and Apple passed up on joining the pledge.
All companies and industries will have to comply with rules listed in the Pact under the EU’s AI Act, which is rolled out in stages in coming years. The goal of the voluntary Pact was to get companies to comply early with the AI Act rules.”
It will be harmful to the company and its customers if a resolution of the dispute doesn’t arrive shortly. Due to the staggered rollout of Apple Intelligence features, there isn’t as much pressure on the company to make a deal as soon as possible. It will be interesting to see if the lack of AI impacts iPhone 16 sales in EU countries.
