A nonprofit organization in the USA is trying to get Apple to provide detailed information about its data collection for artificial intelligence and the ethical guidelines behind it. The request from the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) has been submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), but it seems to have little chance of success. Apple itself is advising shareholders to reject the proposal. Apple Intelligence has been gradually introduced since iOS 18.1.
The NLPC wants Apple to explain where it acquires external data for its AI training and how exactly it uses this data. Specifically, the NLPC is pushing for an investigation into potential risks from using improperly collected training data. Apple should clarify what data protection measures were taken during AI development and what steps are being applied to comply with legal and ethical standards.
A long-standing partnership with Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is cited as a cause for concern. This partnership involves Apple setting Google as the default search engine on its devices. Allegedly, Google pays Apple 25 billion US dollars annually for this arrangement. The NLPC claims that Google can collect large amounts of data on Apple users and that Apple benefits financially from this indirectly. Similar concerns are raised regarding collaboration with ChatGPT developer OpenAI in Apple Intelligence and potential future collaboration with Facebook’s parent company, Meta, which has been a topic of rumors.
Apple promotes its Apple Intelligence as having a user and privacy-friendly approach that distinguishes it from other AI models. Apple emphasizes that much of the AI data is processed locally on the device. If cloud transfer is necessary, Apple ensures that only the essential data is transferred and that it is done as anonymously as possible. Apple also invests significant effort in its cloud servers. Under the name “Private Cloud Compute,” these servers are designed to avoid long-term data storage.
Apple’s shareholder meeting will take place on February 25, 2025, at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino.