Apple Faces New AI Problem, Forced To Remove Apps That Create Explicit Images

AI generated images from apps misusing the content has been flouting Apple's rules.

Apple has a strict App Store policy and it regularly checks for bad apples but the AI concerns are now making its way to the app store as well.

Apple is building its AI tools that will be revealed at the WWDC 2024 keynote in June but the company also faces major AI problems on the App Store. Apple has reportedly taken down multiple apps that can be used to create AI-generated explicit images.

In fact, reports claim these apps were able to create explicit AI images of a person without taking their consent to do so. Apple generally has a strict policy against apps that do nefarious activities but every now and then we see apps bypassing its checks via other sources.

Apple AI-Generated Images Issue With App Store: Here’s The Story

With the advent of AI tech, apps are flouting all basic rules and tempting users with the promise of AI-based editing, face swaps and more. Apple discovered some of these apps on the App Store that were being marketed through ads on Instagram.

Having these features seemingly allowed the apps to gain access to their phone’s gallery which was then misused to create their explicit images. Apple has a strict policy against apps like these, especially if they misuse its user’s privacy.

However, the company only acted on these culprit apps after this report shared the details. App Store security checks are solid but cases like these bring Apple’s mechanism into question, especially when there is a big AI threat out there in the public.

Apps promoted through other platforms are a tougher nut to crack, but it is equally important that Instagram and other ad-hosting apps also keep a check on the kind of content, especially the AI-generated or related ones are pushed to its users. Incidents like these also point to an urgent need to label content as well as apps that operate within the purview of the AI ecosystem.