Chinese artificial intelligence company Shanghai Zhizhen Intelligent Network Technology Co Ltd, or Xiao-i, has recently filed a lawsuit against Apple's Siri is at the heart of the dispute.
Xiao-i is a Shanghai-based artificial intelligence company, founded by Max Yuan and Pinpin Zhu, that specializes in developing artificial intelligence through the utilization of Natural Language Processing. Following its establishment in 2001, Xiao-i developed advanced AI technologies, including a chatbot launched on MSN in 2004. As well as a speech assistant for the China Merchants Bank in 2012, and a bot development platform in 2017.
This lawsuit marks the latest in a string of suits Xiao-i has filed against Apple, beginning in 2012 when the Chinese tech corporation sued the company for patent infringement, with regards to its voice-recognition technology. In a Linkedin post, Xiao-i demands Apple cease the “manufacturing, using, promising to sell, selling and importing” of products that infringe on its invention patent. This is in addition to paying $1.4 billion for the damages Apple has been accused of causing the tech company thus far. Apple has asserted that Siri doesn’t share any of the features represented in the Xiao-i patent, and in a statement, said, “We look forward to presenting the facts to the court.”
Apple Fighting An International Lawsuit
While a Chinese court has validated Xiao-i’s suit, it’s unlikely that it will gain traction outside of the country. Apple is an American company subjected to American law. At present, there is no arrangement between as an American business operating within the nation, with permission from the government. As a result, these issues might lead to the result of a lawsuit only being valid within the territory the trial occurs in.
Without an in-depth examination of the specific features that Xiao-i is accusing Apple of using in Siri, it’s hard to predict the outcome of the lawsuit. China is a massive market for Apple, so if Xiao-i wins, there could be a situation where Apple removes Siri from the market in order to continue standard operations. Xiao-i would have trouble pursuing anything beyond that, as without agreements with nations to make the case valid elsewhere in the world, a win in a Chinese court wouldn’t necessarily be significant for Apple elsewhere.
Source: Linkedin