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Apple Inc makes strategic move in India

Government sources said Apple has been praising the stability of India’s policy calling it “clearly impressive”…reports Asian Lite News

In a series of meetings with the Union government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has expressed confidence about a long-term working relationship with India.

After the meeting with Prime Minister Modi, Tim Cook on Wednesday tweeted, “Thank you Prime Minister @narendramodi for the warm welcome. We share your vision of the positive impact technology can make on India’s future — from education and developers to manufacturing and the environment, we’re committed to growing and investing across the country.”

Prime Minister Modi also tweeted after the meeting saying, “An absolute delight to meet you, @tim_cook! Glad to exchange views on diverse topics and highlight the tech-powered transformations taking place in India.”

Government sources said Apple has been praising the stability of India’s policy calling it “clearly impressive”.

Viewing India as its long-term market, the iPhone manufacturer has expressed interest in expansion plans, including manufacturing the latest products.

Currently, the employment strength of Apple in India stands at 1 lakh. Sources said this is expected to go up to 2 lakh in the coming years.

In terms of the required skilled labour, the Union government stands committed to supplying the required manpower including providing customised requirements. It is in the public knowledge that Gati Shakti Vidyalaya is designing courses for manufacturers. The sources say that such a similar arrangement can also be made for Apple.

Tim Cook is currently in India for the launch of two Apple stores. The first was launched in Mumbai on Tuesday while the second retail store will be launched in Delhi on Thursday.

In another development, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also tweeted about his meeting with CEO Tim Cook.

Late Wednesday, the minister posted, “Met with @tim_cook, CEO, Apple. Discussed deepening Apple’s engagement in India across manufacturing, electronics exports, app economy, skilling, sustainability and job creation especially for women. Jointly charting a long-term and strong relationship.”

Minister of State for IT and Electronics Rajeev Chandrasekhar also met the tech giant’s CEO on Wednesday.

The MoS tweeted, “It was a delight to meet @tim_cook CEO, @Apple and his team to engage on Apple’s strategic and long-term partnership with and in India’s digital journey. We discussed deepening and broadening manufacturing, exports, skilling of youth, expanding app n innovation economy and job creation. #NewIndia #IndiaTechade @_DigitalIndia”.

Cook also met Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and discussed how to further boost local manufacturing and iPhone exports.

Apple logged a record over $5 billion in iPhone exports from India in FY23.

“It was a delight to meet @tim_cook CEO, @Apple and his team to engage on Apple’s strategic and long-term partnership with and in India’s digital journey,” the minister said in a tweet.

“We discussed deepening and broadening manufacturing, exports, skilling of youth, expanding app an innovation economy and job creation,” Chandrasekhar added.

Mobile phone exports rose from Rs 45,000 crore in FY22 to Rs 90,000 crore in FY23, surpassing the previous estimate of Rs 75,000 crore.

The outstanding performance of the performance-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for mobile phones serves as an inspiration for other electronic segments to emulate this success in increasing manufacturing and exports.

The Apple ecosystem in India has generated over one lakh new direct jobs in manufacturing in the last two years, according to Chandrashekhar.

“About 70 per cent of these are 19-24 year old women, who are starting their careers, acquiring skills and improving the ease of living for their families,” he added.

Apple began manufacturing iPhones in India in 2017, and since then, the company has worked with suppliers to assemble new iPhone models and produce a growing number of components.

Apple has always believed that education is the great equaliser for people and the tech giant will continue to expand education and skilling initiatives in India to connect more underprivileged kids to the mainstream, Cook said.

Returning to India after seven years to launch Apple’s first own-branded retail store here, Cook paid a visit to Sitaram Mill Compound municipal school in Lower Parel area in Mumbai where Apple has integrated iPads and Apple TVs into the classrooms.

The English medium BMC school is run by teachers and staff members who are part of The Akanksha Foundation, a non-profit organisation. The school currently has 470 students and 55 alumni, and each class has up to 40 students.

“Since the founding of the company, we’ve been very focused on education. It’s very deep in our DNA. The programmes like this really make my heart sing because we can see our products live in a learning environment,” Cook said.

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Tim Cook opens Apple’s first retail store in India

Cook came out from the Mumbai retail store and took selfies with the first Apple buyers who came in big numbers….reports Asian Lite News

An ‘excited’ Apple CEO Tim Cook on Tuesday greeted a huge crowd of people and first customers amid desi drum beats as he opened the company’s first branded retail store in the country.

Cook came out from the Mumbai retail store and took selfies with the first Apple buyers who came in big numbers.

He welcomed customers at Apple BKC, located at Mumbai’s bustling Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) financial, arts, and entertainment district, at the Jio World Drive Mall.

The new Apple flagship retail stores in Mumbai, followed by one in New Delhi and backed by aggressive sales initiatives, will fuel Apple’s growth in the year ahead.

“Apple BKC is a reflection of Mumbai’s vibrant culture and brings together the best of Apple in a beautiful, welcoming space for connection and community,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail.

Apple BKC will offer a special Today at Apple series, ‘Mumbai Rising’, running from Tuesday through the summer.

Bringing visitors, local artists, and creatives together, these free sessions featuring Apple products and services will offer hands-on activities that celebrate the local community and culture.

Apple BKC is designed to be one of the most energy-efficient Apple Store locations in the world, with a dedicated solar array and zero reliance on fossil fuels for store operations.

The store is operationally carbon neutral, running on 100 percent renewable energy.

Each tile is made from 408 pieces of timber, forming 31 modules per tile with a total of 1,000 tiles that make up the ceiling.

There are over 450,000 individual timber elements, all of which were assembled in Delhi.

Upon entering the store, customers are greeted by two stone walls sourced from Rajasthan and a 14-meter-long stainless steel staircase connecting the ground level and the cantilevered mezzanine.

Apple BKC features more than 100 team members who collectively speak over 20 languages.

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Apple’s first retail store goes live in India

Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the company is excited to build on its long-standing history in India, as it gears up to mark a major expansion with the opening of its first retail stores in the country…reports Asian Lite News

As it completes 25 years in India, Apple on Monday previewed its first own-branded retail store here that will serve as a dynamic space for customers. Next on the anvil is the second Apple retail store opening in New Delhi this week.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the company is excited to build on its long-standing history in India, as it gears up to mark a major expansion with the opening of its first retail stores in the country.

“India has such a beautiful culture and an incredible energy, and we’re excited to build on our long-standing history — supporting our customers, investing in local communities, and working together to build a better future with innovations that serve humanity,” said Cook who will inaugurate the retail stores in the country, a first for the tech giant which has doubled down on its India growth plans.

Located at Mumbai’s bustling Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) financial, arts, and entertainment district, Apple BKC — to be thrown open for public on Tuesday — will help customers explore company products and services, enjoy exceptional service, and learn how to get more out of their devices through free Today at Apple sessions.

“Apple BKC is a reflection of Mumbai’s vibrant culture and brings together the best of Apple in a beautiful, welcoming space for connection and community,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail.

Apple BKC will offer a special Today at Apple series, “Mumbai Rising,” running from Tuesday (April 18) through the summer.

Bringing visitors, local artists, and creatives together, these free sessions featuring Apple products and services will offer hands-on activities that celebrate the local community and culture.

Apple BKC is designed to be one of the most energy-efficient Apple Store locations in the world, with a dedicated solar array and zero reliance on fossil fuels for store operations.

The store is operationally carbon neutral, running on 100 percent renewable energy.

Each tile is made from 408 pieces of timber, forming 31 modules per tile with a total of 1,000 tiles that make up the ceiling.

There are over 450,000 individual timber elements, all of which were assembled in Delhi.

Upon entering the store, customers are greeted by two stone walls sourced from Rajasthan and a 14-meter-long stainless steel staircase connecting the ground level and the cantilevered mezzanine.

Apple BKC features more than 100 team members who collectively speak over 20 languages.

Apple’s first two retail stores in India will welcome customers from all over the country and around the world.

The new Apple flagship retail stores in Mumbai and Delhi, backed by aggressive sales initiatives, will fuel Apple’s growth in the year ahead, according to industry experts.

Apple began manufacturing iPhone in India in 2017, and since then, the company has worked with suppliers to assemble new iPhone models and produce a growing number of components.

Amid the local manufacturing push and an upcoming widespread retail store strategy, Apple shipped $7.5 billion worth iPhones and iPads in India in FY22-23, according to CMR data accessed by IANS.

In FY23, Apple shipped more than 7 million iPhones and half a million iPads in the country, registering a 28 per cent growth for iPhone shipments, according to initial estimates provided by market intelligence firm CMR.

As Apple doubles down on domestic manufacturing in India, the tech giant is likely to garner 6 per cent market share in FY23-34, with selling more than 8 million iPhones in the country in the period.

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Apple to use 100% recycled cobalt in batteries

This rapid progress brings Apple closer to its aim to one day make all products with only recycled and renewable materials…reports Asian Lite News

Apple has announced to use 100 per cent recycled cobalt in all company-designed batteries by 2025.

Additionally, magnets in Apple devices will use entirely recycled rare earth elements by 2025, and all Apple-designed printed circuit boards will use 100 per cent recycled tin soldering and 100 per cent recycled gold plating.

In 2022, the company significantly expanded its use of key recycled metals, and now sources over two-thirds of all aluminium, nearly three-quarters of all rare earths, and more than 95 per cent of all tungsten in Apple products from 100 percent recycled material.

“From the recycled materials in our products, to the clean energy that powers our operations, our environmental work is integral to everything we make and to who we are,”: said Apple CEO Tim Cook.

“So we’ll keep pressing forward in the belief that great technology should be great for our users, and for the environment,” he added.

This rapid progress brings Apple closer to its aim to one day make all products with only recycled and renewable materials, and advances the company’s 2030 goal to make every product carbon neutral.

“Our ambition to one day use 100 per cent recycled and renewable materials in our products works hand in hand with Apple 2030: our goal to achieve carbon neutral products by 2030,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives.

In 2022, a quarter of all cobalt found in Apple products came from recycled material, up from 13 per cent the previous year.

Apple-designed batteries found in iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, and many other products represent a significant majority of the company’s use of cobalt.

The company’s use of 100 per cent certified recycled rare earth elements has greatly expanded in the last year as well, going from 45 per cent in 2021 to 73 per cent in 2022.

Apple first introduced recycled rare earths in the Taptic Engine of iPhone 11.

As part of the accelerated new timeline, all Apple-designed printed circuit boards will use 100 percent certified recycled gold plating by 2025, said the company.

By 2025, the company will use 100 per cent certified recycled tin soldering on all Apple-designed printed rigid and flexible circuit boards.

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Apple shipped $7.5 bn worth gadgets in India

As Apple doubles down on domestic manufacturing in India, the tech giant is likely to garner 6 per cent market share in FY23-34…reports Asian Lite News

Amid the local manufacturing push and an upcoming widespread retail store strategy, Apple shipped $7.5 billion worth iPhones and iPads in India in FY22-23, data accessed has shown.

In FY23, Apple shipped more than 7 million iPhones and half a million iPads in the country, registering a 28 per cent growth for iPhone shipments, according to initial estimates provided by market intelligence firm CMR.

As Apple doubles down on domestic manufacturing in India, the tech giant is likely to garner 6 per cent market share in FY23-34, with selling more than 8 million iPhones in the country in the period.

“In the FY22-23 period, Apple continued to accelerate its momentum in India, with double-digit growth in iPhone shipments year-on-year,” Prabhu Ram, Head, Industry Intelligence Group, CMR, told.

Meanwhile, in the March quarter (the last quarter of FY23), iPhones registered 67 per cent growth, with 2.1 million shipments in the country.

“In the most recent March quarter, a strong uptick in consumer demand in India catalysed the shipments of iPads and iPhones. Specifically, the current iPhone 14 series, and the previous iPhone 13 line-up constituted for a majority of the shipments,” Ram added.

iPhone 13 series garnered 48 per cent market share in Q1 2023, followed by iPhone 14 series at 44 per cent.

For the entire FY23, iPhone 14 series logged 36 per cent market share in India.

Looking ahead, Apple enjoys some favourable tailwinds in India, a strong future growth driver.

“There is growing ‘premiumsation’ in the Indian smartphone market, backed by a healthy urban demand for premium smartphones. Domestic iPhone manufacturing in India continues to see a healthy uptick, and there is potential for concurrent iPhone production with China on the horizon,” Ram told IANS.

Apple will open its two flagship, own-branded retail stores, next week in Mumbai and New Delhi.

According to reliable sources, Apple CEO Tim Cook will inaugurate Apple’s own branded retail stores — at Jio World Drive Mall in Mumbai and at Select CityWalk mall in Saket, Delhi — a first for the tech giant which has doubled down on its India growth plans.

“The new Apple flagship retail stores in Mumbai and Delhi, backed by aggressive sales initiatives, will fuel Apple’s growth in the year ahead,” said Ram.

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Tech Lite

Apple fixes 2 zero-day bugs exploited to hack iPhones

Successful exploitation enables attackers to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges on targeted devices by using a maliciously crafted app…reports Asian Lite News

Apple has fixed two new zero-day security vulnerabilities exploited in attacks to compromise iPhones, Macs, and iPads, in its latest software update.

According to BleepingComputer, the two zero-day security vulnerabilities were addressed in iOS 16.4.1, iPadOS 16.4.1, macOS Ventura 13.3.1, and Safari 16.4.1 with improved input validation and memory management.

The first security flaw is an IOSurfaceAccelerator that could lead to the corruption of data, a crash, or code execution.

Successful exploitation enables attackers to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges on targeted devices by using a maliciously crafted app, said the report.

The second zero-day vulnerability is a WebKit that allows data corruption or arbitrary code execution when freed memory is reused.

An attacker can exploit this flaw by tricking targets into loading malicious web pages under their control, resulting in code execution on compromised systems.

Meanwhile, researchers have tracked 55 zero-day vulnerabilities that were exploited in 2022 by the hackers, mostly targeting Microsoft, Google and Apple products.

According to information security company Mandiant report, products of Microsoft, Google and Apple made up the majority of zero-day vulnerabilities in 2022, consistent with the previous years, and the most exploited product types were operating systems (19), followed by browsers (11), security, IT, and network management products (10), and mobile OS (six).

Apple stops signing iOS 16.3.1

After the release of iOS 16.4.1, Apple has stopped signing iOS 16.3.1 to prevent iPhone users from downgrading to that software version.

On February 13, iOS 16.3.1 was released as a minor update containing bug fixes, security improvements, and enhanced Crash Detection optimisations for iPhone 14 models, reports MacRumors.

To prevent consumers from downgrading to an outdated software version, Apple frequently removes signing older iOS releases over time.

The company does this to prevent users from installing unsafe versions of iOS while also ensuring that as many people as possible are using the most up-to-date APIs and features.

iOS 16.4 is expected to be unsigned later this month, so iPhone customers who want to downgrade to that version have a limited amount of time, said the report.

Meanwhile, Apple has now rolled out iOS 16.5 beta 1 to registered developers. The company also rolled out iPadOS 16.5 beta 1 to registered developers for beta testing.

“Update your apps to use new features, and test your apps against API changes,” Apple said in a release.

As the update rolls out, users will be able to install it by going to the Settings app, choosing General, and then choosing Software Update.

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Apple all set to open its first retail store in India

The company is all set to open the gates of the India retail store to the public this month…reports Asian Lite News

After years of wait, Apple on Wednesday finally lifted the curtains off its much-awaited own branded retail store in India, as it ramps up plans to boost local manufacturing in a fillip to the Central government’s ‘Make in India’ initiativ

Apple revealed the barricade of its first brick-and-mortar store in India at Jio World Drive Mall in Mumbai, officially marking the upcoming opening of Apple BKC.

Inspired by the iconic ‘Kaali Peeli’ taxi art unique to Mumbai, the Apple BKC creative includes colourful interpretations of the decals combined with many Apple products and services that will be available for our customers to discover.

The creative for the store features a bright welcome to people passing by with the classic Apple greeting, “Hello Mumbai”.

“To celebrate the opening of the new store, visitors can download the new Apple BKC wallpaper and move to the sounds of Mumbai with a specially curated playlist on Apple Music,” said the company.

The company is all set to open the gates of the India retail store to the public this month.

Apple will also possibly launch a retail store in New Delhi at a later date.

The tech giant has set another all-time revenue record for the India market, along with quarterly records in Brazil and India.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said recently that looking at the business in India, “we set a quarterly revenue record and grew very strong double digits year over year and so we feel very good about how we performed”.

“That’s despite the headwinds that we talked about. India is a hugely exciting market for us and a major focus. We broughtAthe online store there in 2020. We will soon bring Apple Retail there,” Cook had announced in February.

He said that Apple actually did fairly well through Covid in India.

“That’s the reason why we are investing there by bringing retail there, bringing the online store there and putting out a significant amount of energy there. I’m very bullish on India,” the CEO added..

The India market share of iPhones reached 5.5 per cent for 2022, an 11 per cent growth (year-on-year).

Meanwhile, Apples own brick-and-mortar store in India will further strengthen the overall experience of being in an Apple ecosystem for its fans in the country, experts said on Wednesday.

With its own branded retail store — the first one being opened in Mumbai this month — Apple will be able to control end-to-end user experience which will further take its brand image to another level.

“We have seen many stories around the world about consumers sharing positive purchase experiences from the Apple branded stores and India will be no different,” Counterpoint Research Director Tarun Pathak told IANS.

Apple has finally lifted the curtains off its much-awaited own branded retail store at Jio World Drive Mall in Mumbai, officially marking the upcoming opening of Apple BKC.

According to Counterpoint data, Mumbai contributed 10 per cent of iPhone sales and the second largest for Apple, after Delhi, in 2022.

Apple.

Over the past couple of years, Apple’s India strategy has been coming along well, including increased domestic manufacturing, aggressive marketing and affordability initiatives, and the success of the Apple India Online store.

“Offline retail continues to be critical for all consumer tech companies in a large, diverse market like India. Indian Consumers love to touch, feel and explore the products, before making their purchase considerations,” Prabhu Ram, Head, Industry Intelligence Group, CMR, told IANS.

Interestingly, the premium smartphone segment in India has been growing in double digits.

“The Apple-owned flagship retail stores come with favorable tailwinds, and are a critical lynchpin in Apple’s bid to win the India market. Apple’s retail stores globally set a standard in terms of consumer experience, staff knowledge and expertise, and the service standards, beyond products,” Ram noted.

Apple will launch a retail store in New Delhi at a later date.

Apple sold 2 million iPhones in India in the holiday quarter (Q4) of 2022, registering 18 per cent growth (quarter-on-quarter) for its flagship device.

The India market share of iPhones reached 5.5 per cent for 2022, an 11 per cent growth (year-on-year

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Apple’s ‘Made In India’ shipments jumps 65%

The contribution of exports in ‘Make in India’ smartphone shipments reached the highest ever in 2022 both in volume and value…reports Asian Lite News

‘Make in India’ shipments from Apple grew 65 per cent (on-year) by volume and 162 per cent by value, taking the brand’s value share to 25 per cent in 2022, up from 12 per cent in 2021, a new report has shown.

The contribution of exports in ‘Make in India’ smartphone shipments reached the highest ever in 2022 both in volume (20 per cent) and value terms (30 per cent), according to Counterpoint Research.

Overall, ‘Make in India’ smartphone shipments declined 3 per cent YoY in 2022 (January-December) to reach 188 million units.

The major factor behind this decline was the softening of consumer demand due to macroeconomic headwinds, especially in the second half of the year.

“Apple’s EMS (electronics manufacturing services) partners Foxconn Hon Hai and Wistron were the fastest growing manufacturers among the top 10 in Q4 2022. The growth was also fuelled by increasing exports from Apple,” said senior research analyst Prachir Singh.

In Q4 2022, Samsung emerged as the top smartphone manufacturer, ahead of OPPO whose manufacturing shipments declined 31 per cent YoY due to inventory issues in the entry-tier segment.

“Apple’s EMS partners Foxconn Hon Hai, Wistron and Pegatron were among the top 10 EMS players in India in 2022 in terms of volume. In terms of value, Foxconn Hon Hai and Wistron led the EMS landscape,” said Singh.

Both of these manufacturers also received the PLI incentive in the recent disbursements.

Among OEMs, OPPO led the ‘Made in India’ smartphone shipments in 2022 with a 22 per cent share, followed by Samsung.

Research Director Tarun Pathak said that overall, 2022 has been a good year in terms of manufacturing and localisation in India.

“The increasing exports from Apple, Samsung and other OEMs drove the locally manufactured shipments in 2022 and somewhat offset the impact of the local demand decline. The recent disbursement of PLI incentives from the government as well as other initiatives, both at the central and state levels, has boosted the overall local manufacturing,” Pathak noted.

Going forward, we may see the country reaping benefits of the PLI scheme thanks to increasing exports from Apple and Samsung, said the report.

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India set to cross $10 bn worth mobile exports

Apple’s ‘Make in India’ smartphone now constitute 50 per cent of total exports….reports Asian Lite News

Buoyed by attractive government incentives towards local manufacturing, India is all set to reach a remarkable $10 billion (over Rs 82,000 crore) worth smartphone exports in the fiscal year ending March 31, industry data showed on Wednesday.

According to the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), Apple’s ‘Make in India’ smartphone now constitute 50 per cent of total exports.

Samsung is second with 40 per cent mobile exports while other smartphone players constitute 10 per cent export share.

Smartphone exports from India have doubled from a corresponding period from last fiscal year, driven by production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes.

The top five global destinations India currently exports mobile phones to are the UAE, the US, the Netherlands, the UK and Italy, according to the ICEA data.

“Efficacy and maturity of an industry is only judged with robust exports. Mobile phones policy and outreach initiatives have been relentless and the results are in front of us,” Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman of ICEA, told IANS.

“The mobile phone industry will cross $40 billion manufacturing output and 25 per cent exports at $10 billion is a stellar performance,” he added.

Reports surfaced earlier this year that Tim Cook-led Apple will quickly shift some of its China manufacturing to India and Vietnam in the next 2-3 years.

India is likely to produce 45-50 per cent of Apple’s iPhones by 2027, at par with China, where 80-85 per cent of iPhones were produced in 2022.

According to estimates by DigiTimes research analysts, India and Vietnam are to become the biggest beneficiaries of smartphone supply chain migration out of China.

India accounted for 10-15 per cent of iPhones’ overall production capacity at the end of 2022.

Apple became the first smartphone player in India to have exported $1 billion worth iPhones in the month of December. It currently manufactures iPhones 12, 13, 14 and 14 Plus in the country.

According to Mohindroo, the country is now moving in a different direction, “which is largely export-focused and led by the government’s performance-linked scheme (PLI) push”.

The government is also working to strengthen the electronic manufacturing ecosystem beyond mobiles to boost its global share in hearables and wearables, IT hardware and electronic components etc.

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Apple nod to ChatGPT-driven app amid concerns

Apple approved the app called aBlueMail’ following assurances from its developer that it has content moderation tools…reports Asian Lite News

Apple has reportedly approved an AI chatbot-driven app after content moderation assurances from its developer, as concerns rise about ChatGPT going bonkers and even generating inappropriate content for some users.

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, Apple approved the app called aBlueMail’ following assurances from its developer that it has content moderation tools.

Apple scrutinised whether a feature in the software that uses AI-powered language tools “could generate inappropriate content for children”.

According to Ben Volach, co-founder of the app maker, Blix Inc., he told Apple that “its update includes content moderation”.

He suggested that “the company should make public any new policies about the use of ChatGPT or other similar AI systems in apps”.

The BlueMail app is still available for users aged 4 and older, said the report.

Apple curates and reviews each app before approving those for its App Store.

However, there have been concerns regarding ChatGPT use.

Since its release, researchers have been grappling with the ethical issues surrounding its use, because much of its output can be difficult to distinguish from human-written text.

AI chatbot ChatGPT-driven Bing search engine triggered a shockwave recently after it told a reporter with The New York Times that it loved him, confessed its destructive desires and said it “wanted to be alive”, leaving the reporter “deeply unsettled.”

Cyber-criminals are also using ChatGPT to create Telegram bots that can write malware and steal data.

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