Apple pauses AI-generated news alerts after headline notification errors

• It's the latest in a series of problematic rollouts of AI features by tech giants, with Microsoft in June announcing changes to its Recall feature following criticism from security and privacy experts.
• Google paused AI image generation last February following complaints about diversity.

Driving the news: Following the BBC false headline controversy, the nonprofit Reporters Without Borders called generative AI services "a danger to the public's right to reliable information on current affairs."

• Meanwhile, the U.K.-based National Union of Journalists called on Apple to swiftly remove the feature, saying: "At a time where access to accurate reporting has never been more important, the public must not be placed in a position of second-guessing the accuracy of news they receive."
• The BBC reported at the time that three news stories on different matters by the New York Times on Nov. 21 "were grouped together in one notification," with one stating that Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been "arrested."

What they're saying: "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," per an Apple statement emailed on Thursday evening.

• "We are working on improvements and will make them available in a future software update."

What to expect: Apple is deploying updates to make clear, using italicized text, that enabling notification summaries activates a beta feature, which may occasionally produce unexpected results.

• Users will be able to manage this feature from the lock screen.

Go deeper: Apple's AI story is still a rough draft