Apple halts AI information alerts after errors

Apple has suspended a recent artificial intelligence (AI) characteristic that drew criticism and complaints for making repeated mistakes in its summaries of information headlines.

The tech giant had been facing mounting pressure to withdraw the service, which sent notifications that appeared to arrive from within information organisations’ apps.

“We are working on improvements and will make them available in a upcoming software update,” an Apple spokesperson said.

The BBC was among the groups to complain, after an alert generated by Apple’s AI falsely told some readers that Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had shot himself.

The characteristic had also inaccurately summarised headlines from the recent York Times and the Washington Post, according to reports from journalists and others on social media.

Media outlets and press groups had pushed the corporation to pull back, warning that the characteristic was not ready and that AI-generated errors were adding to issues of misinformation and falling depend in information.

But Apple had previously promised only a software update that would explain the role of AI in creating the summaries, which were discretionary and only available to readers with the latest iPhones.

This selection disables the characteristic entirely for information and entertainment apps.

“With the latest beta software releases of iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3, Notification summaries for the information & Entertainment category will be temporarily unavailable,” an Apple spokesperson said.

The corporation said that for other apps the AI-generated summaries of app alerts will appear using italicised text.

“We’re pleased that Apple has listened to our concerns and is pausing the summarisation characteristic for information,” a BBC spokesperson said.

“We look forward to working with them constructively on next steps. Our priority is the accuracy of the information we deliver to audiences which is essential to building and maintaining depend.”

Apple had said the characteristic, which rolled out to users in the UK in December, was intended to make customers’ lives more efficient.

It groups together and rewrites previews of multiple recent app notifications into a single alert on users’ lock screens.

The selection comes as the corporation faces pressure to display its AI developments, which investors had been hoping would drive a recent wave of demand for iPhones and other technology.

The corporation’s shares fell more than 4% in buying and selling on Thursday after reports sales were struggling in China.