Apple has announced a delay in the launch of three new artificial intelligence (AI) features in Europe due to regulatory challenges posed by the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The features, which will be available in the US this autumn, are now scheduled to launch in Europe in 2025.
The affected features include Phone Mirroring, SharePlay Screen Sharing enhancements, and Apple Intelligence. Apple stated that these features will not be available to EU users this year because the DMA’s competition rules require interoperability with rival products, which Apple argues could compromise the security and privacy of its devices.
Apple expressed its concerns in an email, stating: “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.” This stance has been a point of contention, as EU officials have previously challenged Apple’s claims.
In response, the European Commission said Apple is welcome in the EU provided it complies with local laws. Earlier this month, Apple introduced Apple Intelligence at its annual developer conference. This suite of AI features integrates ChatGPT and Siri, enabling users to search the web and generate images or text. These capabilities will also allow users to search through their emails, texts, and photos based on specific prompts when the next version of Apple’s mobile operating system is released later this year.
The new features will be available on the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPad and Mac devices with the M1 chip and later versions. Additionally, the iPhone Mirroring feature on MacOS Sequoia will allow the phone’s screen to be viewed and interacted with on Mac computers.
Apple reiterated its commitment to privacy, with CEO Tim Cook stating in early June that the new AI features would be “grounded in your personal context like your routine, your relationships, your communications and more.”
In its statement, Apple emphasized its dedication to collaborating with the European Commission to find a solution that would enable the rollout of these features in Europe without compromising user 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.”
As Apple works to navigate the regulatory landscape, European users will have to wait until 2025 to access these innovative AI-powered features.