In a significant move, Apple has decided to pause its newly launched artificial intelligence (AI) feature that faced widespread criticism for frequently misrepresenting news summaries. The tech leader had been under increasing pressure to withdraw the service, which sent notifications that mistakenly appeared to originate from reputable news organizations.
An Apple representative stated, “We are working on improvements and will make them available in a future software update.” The BBC was one of the vocal critics, reporting that the AI incorrectly informed readers that Luigi Mangione, the individual accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had taken his own life.
This feature also generated inaccurate summaries from sources like Sky News, the New York Times, and the Washington Post, provoking backlash from journalists and media entities alike. Concerns were raised about how these AI-generated inaccuracies could contribute to the ongoing issues of misinformation and declining trust in the news.
After the BBC formally complained to Apple in December, the company promised a software update in January that would clarify the AI’s role in generating these summaries, which were optional and only accessible to users with the latest iPhone models. However, this response was met with further criticism, suggesting that Apple wasn’t doing enough to address the problem.
Apple has now completely disabled the feature for news and entertainment applications. An Apple spokesperson confirmed, “With the latest beta software releases of iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3, Notification summaries for the News & Entertainment category will be temporarily unavailable.” For other applications, AI-generated summaries will now be shown in italicized text.
A spokesperson from the BBC commented positively, stating, “We’re pleased that Apple has listened to our concerns and is pausing the summarization feature for news.” They emphasized the importance of delivering accurate news content to maintain public trust.
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Originally launched in December specifically for UK users, the intention behind the feature was to enhance user experience by streamlining multiple app notifications into a single concise alert on lock screens.
This decision comes at a time when Apple is under pressure to demonstrate its advancements in AI, which investors anticipated would lead to increased demand for the company’s devices. Following reports of struggling sales in China, Apple’s share price fell more than 4% on Thursday.
Apple is typically steadfast in its product stance and rarely acknowledges criticism. However, this recent statement underscores the seriousness of the issues tied to its ambitious new AI feature. Besides inadvertently spreading misinformation through faulty news summaries, Apple was also jeopardizing the credibility of esteemed news organizations, like the BBC, by misrepresenting their content next to misleading headlines.
AI developers frequently warn of the technology’s propensity to “hallucinate,” meaning it can fabricate information. Despite this, AI-generated content is becoming increasingly prominent, leading users to mistakenly view it as reliable. This incident demonstrates that even a powerhouse like Apple, with its robust resources and expertise, is not immune to challenges in AI development.
Interestingly, the erroneous AI summary linked to the Washington Post—a publication owned by Tim Cook’s acquaintance, Jeff Bezos—was one of the last straw moments prompting the company to reconsider its AI approach.