Over 100 generative AI apps, including popular chat app, removed from China's App Store due to new Chinese government AI regulations

From August 15, 2023, the Chinese government plans to enforce the ``Draft regulation of services that utilize generative AI such as ChatGPT''. Newly, the South China Morning Post, an English-language newspaper in Hong Kong, reported that Apple has deleted ``more than 100 generated AI-equipped apps'' in the Chinese App Store.

Apple removes over a hundred ChatGPT-like apps in China as tighter regulations set to take effect | South China Morning Post
https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3229628/apple-removes-over-hundred-chatgpt-apps-china-tighter-regulations-set-take-effect

Generative AI services pulled from Apple App Store in China ahead of new regulations | TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2023/08/01/generative-ai-services-pulled-from-apple-app-store-in-china-ahead-of-new-regulations/

Apple pulls dozens of ChatGPT-style apps from China App Store ahead of regulatory changes - 9to5Mac
https://9to5mac.com/2023/08/01/apple-chatgpt-china-app-store-removals/

In April 2023, China's Internet regulator, the China Cyberspace Administration (CAC), announced a bill regulating generative AI services. The bill covers all generative AI services, including chat AI like ChatGPT, image generative AI, audio and video. Companies should take measures to prevent generated AI services from generating content that upholds 'Chinese socialist values' and that disrupts social order, such as discriminatory content, false information, violence and pornography.

Chinese regulators announce regulatory bills for generative AI like ChatGPT, risk of criminal charges against companies if AI opposes the Chinese Communist Party-GIGAZINE

Apple has removed over 100 generative AI apps from the Chinese App Store following the AI services regulation bill coming into force on August 15th. According to Qimai, a Chinese mobile analytics platform, among the removed apps are Spark, which was just released on June 29 and offers chat services like ChatGPT, as well as chatbots and translation services. The AI application 'ChatGAi Plus' etc. are also included. Just before it was removed on August 1st, ChatGAi Plus was so popular that it ranked ninth in the Chinese App Store's paid app rankings.

Baye aka, the developer of 'OpenCat', one of the deleted AI apps, has posted a screenshot of the notification sent by Apple to X (formerly Twitter). According to Apple, as the Chinese government tightened generated AI regulations, generated AI services like ChatGPT will require a license issued by the People's Republic of China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) . OpenCat has features like ChatGPT and is not approved by MIIT, so it has been removed from the Chinese App Store.

Please keep in mind that the landlord, the cause of the policy problem, OpenCat is legally in the country. Search in China, download OpenCat, below is a simple solution:

If you only have a country code, you can pass through the following steps to update App:
1. Opening 'System Settings → General → iPhone Storage Space'
2. Start OpenCat, Start 'Wholesale App'
3.… pic.twitter.com/FxpieHWKOh

— Baye aka power 狈 (@waylybaye) August 1, 2023

Technology media TechCrunch said, ``AI apps that utilize large-scale language models similar to ChatGPT are proliferating in China. 'It's definitely a concern for China's cyberspace censors, who try to keep politically sensitive information from leaking out.'