Apple's big AI rollout is looking a lot smaller

• Apple went big with its reveal of Apple Intelligence, its AI offering, earlier this month.
• But Apple Intelligence is only available on the latest iPhone models.
• And it likely won't be available in some of the company's largest markets anytime soon.

At one of its splashiest product reveals in recent history, Apple unveiled its new AI push, called Apple Intelligence, with great enthusiasm earlier this month.

But the new tech's big rollout is turning out to be a lot more limited than that fanfare implied.

Apple Intelligence is only available on the company's newest and most expensive phones. And it might not even make it to some of Apple's biggest markets.

Apple Intelligence will be "built into your iPhone, iPad, and Mac to help you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly," Apple boasts.

But the tech, which will arrive in beta form this fall, will debut only on the "iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPad and Mac with M1 and later" versions.

It also faces hurdles in China, one of the iPhone maker's most important markets. Apple Intelligence uses ChatGPT, a product of OpenAI that isn't allowed in China as Beijing regulators prioritize Chinese AI developers. Apple is negotiating with local Chinese companies to try and find another way into the market, Business Insider previously reported.

Apple is also postponing its release of Apple Intelligence in the European Union amid regulatory scrutiny. The EU put Apple on notice earlier this year to ensure the company's products comply with the Digital Markets Act, which is the bloc's attempt to hold major tech "gatekeepers" accountable and promote healthy competition. Apple said it is working to "find a solution that would enable us to deliver these features to our EU customers without compromising their safety," CNBC reported.

Beyond regulations, tech companies are also navigating what users do and don't want from AI. Companies like Meta and Google have faced user backlash over the intrusiveness — and usefulness — of their new AI features.

Some Facebook and Instagram users have grown frustrated by Meta AI, for instance, a feature shoehorned into the search bar and impossible to opt out of. Similarly, Google rolled out and then scaled back its AI-generated answers in search after its bot suggested users consume glue.

So maybe Apple's limited rollout is for the best, for now.