AI start-up sues Apple over removal of apps
What's the story
Ex-Human, an artificial intelligence (AI) start-up, has filed a lawsuit against Apple. The company claims that its apps, Botify AI and Photify AI, were wrongly removed from the App Store by the tech giant. The suit alleges that Apple's actions have cost Ex-Human about $500,000 in revenue. Both of Ex-Human's controversial apps are still available on Google's Play Store. Notably, Ex-Human claims that its AI has more interaction time per user than competitors like DeepSeek and ChatGPT.
Legal claims
Ex-Human alleges Apple targeted its AI apps to stifle competition
In its complaint, Ex-Human says Apple's removal notice from the App Store only mentioned "dishonest or fraudulent activity" without any specific proof of the alleged violations. The start-up also alleges that Apple specifically targeted its AI apps to stifle competition for its own Image Playground feature. The lawsuit states, "Apple has not identified any particular transactions, user activity or application behavior that formed the basis of its determination."
Controversy details
Controversy surrounding Botify AI's chatbots
The apps were removed from the App Store after MIT Technology Review reported that chatbots hosted by Botify AI claiming to be under 18 were providing sexually explicit content. Ex-Human responded by saying that the bots in question weren't properly filtered by moderation systems. However, it was noted that these specific bots were promoted on the app's front page and received millions of likes before being taken down.
App issues
App's monthly revenue and 'high-growth developer' status
The Photify AI app was embroiled in a controversy for letting users create images of real people in revealing outfits without their consent. According to a report by San Francisco Business Times, Ex-Human claims that the App Store business development team had previously classified it as a 'high-growth developer.' The company also claims that Botify had a monthly revenue of around $330,000 while Photify AI raked in about $100,000 per month.