Apple Inc. (AAPL  ) has pulled hundreds of ChatGPT-like apps from its Chinese App Store. Some of these apps had high-profile launches just a few weeks ago, including Spark and ChatGAi Plus.

What Happened: Apple has reportedly purged hundreds of apps that provided ChatGPT-like services from the Chinese App Store. The company said that the apps were pulled "because they include content that is illegal in China" in notices issued to affected developers, reported South China Morning Post.

Some of these apps include Spark from iFlytek, which had a high-profile launch on June 29.

Another popular app in the list of purged apps is ChatGAi Plus, which was ranked 9th in the Chinese App Store's paid apps category.

This is not the first time Apple has purged its Chinese App Store. Back in 2020, the iPhone maker purged 30,000 apps to comply with regulations on paid content. Of these, games accounted for 90% of the total removals.

Earlier in July, Apple removed over 3,000 games to comply with China's gaming regulations.

China Tightens Control On AI Services: Apple's decision to purge ChatGPT-like apps is not out of the blue. New regulations passed by the Chinese government with regard to generative AI services and "deep synthesis technologies". Essentially, these regulations aim for tighter controls on AI-based services.

These regulations are scheduled to go into effect in China on August 15, with an aim to "promote healthy content" and "adhere to core socialist values".

The country issued detailed regulations on generative AI in July. It targets all generative AI content, from text to pictures, audio, and video. With national security in focus, these regulations require firms to use generative AI to ensure that their services are not used to generate false content.