I was initially surprised that Gruber was so invested in the "quality" of AI-generated text, which in my mind is an oxymoron. But really, Gruber's interest here is with the EU. This forms part of his ongoing attacks on the EU, all because they have been forcing Apple to align with regulations.

Can we install random unapproved apps on our iPhones yet, or is Apple aiming to just be fined a trillion dollars because they make more than that from the 30% cut?

Yes: https://support.apple.com/en-mk/117767

This says we can only install Apple-approved apps.

I am from EU. Alas it has a tendency to produce some idiotic regulations. Cookie banner, new packaging fee, etc. I genuinely think some Apple related ones hurt customers more than help them.