Apple is placing new age restrictions on apps that allow you to have romantic or sexual conversations with artificial intelligence.
This means that any app which features an AI companion that can engage in adult content will now be restricted to users over the age of 18.
Apple has released an update about the tech giant’s plans for the new regulations, confirming that this will be implemented from November 16, giving developers a deadline for when they need to declare what content their app contains.
The firm stated: “App Store Connect will include new content descriptors to help ensure your app’s age ratings accurately reflect its features and are in accordance with local regulations.”
Developers will be required to declare if their app features aspects such as dating and relationships, including ‘features that enable dating or relationship connections between real people and/or a virtual companion that engages a user in sexual or romantic content’.
Apple is placing age restrictions on certain AI apps (Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The statement continued: “Apps that include Dating and Relationships receive a minimum age rating of 18+. Apps that include Shared Location may not have an impact on their minimum age rating in some regions.”
New regulations expected for AI
This move by Apple comes as the US midterm elections have resulted in a landslide victory for the Democrats, with the party taking control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
This has led to many questioning what this might mean for government policies, including the expansion of AI.
Democratic lawmakers have already indicated that they intend to scrutinize the technologyas they will now be able to use congressional committees to organize hearings, request documents and issue subpoenas as part of their oversight work.
Democrats have already been pushing for greater scrutiny of the financial incentives offered to companies building data centers and now, with control of both chambers of Congress, the party will have a lot more opportunity to demand answers.
Tech leaders are expected increased scrutiny over AI (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
Senator Ed Markey has already indicated that major tech companies should prepare for increased scrutiny as, following the election results, Markey warned that executives should expect a significant number of subpoenas, according to Cointelegraph.
Markey said: “They are going to need to plant new forests for all of the subpoenas we’ll be printing.”
Meanwhile, Democratic Representative Robert Garcia, who is expected to take over as chairman of the House Oversight Committee, issued a blunt warning to those who could find themselves under investigation, stating: “Lawyer up.”