Apple's AI Summary Feature Under Fire: Software Update Announced

Apple is currently under criticism after the AI-based notification summarization feature was described as "out of control" and allegedly spreading misinformation. The British broadcaster BBC filed complaints after the tool on iPhones and other devices incorrectly stated that the alleged shooter Luigi Mangione had shot himself, which was not true. The BBC further criticized the system, claiming it wrongly summarized a headline about Rafael Nadal in a way that suggested he was homosexual. This was cited as an example of how Apple's AI summaries do not reflect the original BBC content and, in some cases, even contradict it. Consequently, organizations like Reporters Without Borders advocated for the complete deactivation of the feature. Alan Rusbridger, the former Guardian editor, warned that the tool was not ready and could undermine trust in news. In response, Apple announced plans to release a software update in the coming weeks to make it clearer that the summaries are generated by AI tools. The feature is currently still in beta, and Apple notes that errors are possible. Users are advised to be concerned if they observe "unexpected notification summaries" and are encouraged to report discrepancies. The tool summarizes notifications from various apps, not just news apps. According to Apple, the main use cases are busy apps like group chats. The feature aims to present the most important information in a compressed form. However, since its introduction, strange summaries have been reported, posing challenges for the company. Some users have criticized Apple's system for potentially rephrasing harmless messages in an alarming way. Nonetheless, the summarization feature can be fully disabled or adjusted for selected apps by going to Settings under "Notifications," either by deactivating "Summarize Previews" or selecting a specific app. This is part of a larger suite of Apple Intelligence tools that were introduced last summer and have since been rolled out to the latest devices.