OnePlus suspends AI writer feature over Arunachal Pradesh controversy
What's the story
OnePlus has temporarily suspended its AI Writer feature on all smartphones, following complaints from users about the tool's behavior. The issue was first flagged by a number of OnePlus users who shared screen recordings showing that the AI Writer refused to generate text linking "Arunachal Pradesh" with "India." Instead, it either froze or responded with "Try entering something else."
Feature details
Tool and user concerns
The AI Writer tool is part of the Notes app on OnePlus phones, using a hybrid AI model and global model partners. The controversy erupted over the weekend when users on X reported that the tool seemed to censor "Arunachal Pradesh" when paired with "India." This raised questions about its training data and origin. Some users even speculated that it could be a Chinese-trained model reflecting geopolitical biases not in line with India's map.
Company response
OnePlus acknowledges issue and initiates internal investigation
In a community update, OnePlus acknowledged the complaints and confirmed that an internal investigation is underway. The company said, "Over the past two days, we received reports regarding technical inconsistencies with the AI Writer in the OnePlus Notes app." As a temporary measure until they can fix this underlying technical issue, OnePlus has decided to disable the AI Writer feature in Notes for now.
User reactions
Users express concerns over potential censorship
The incident has sparked a major online debate, with many users accusing OnePlus of promoting Chinese censorship by not recognizing Arunachal Pradesh as part of India. This isn't the first time tech tools have been accused of avoiding controversial topics; China's DeepSeek AI faced similar backlash earlier this year. The matter is sensitive in India, where tech companies are expected to follow official maps and geopolitical positions.