I’m shocked. Shocked, I say, that AI—a technology built upon Hoovering up the detritus of poorly vetted, poorly written verbal diarrhea that populates much of the internet and regurgitating it into language as dull as a warning label on a hand dryer—would do this to us.
Well, surprised. Maybe taken aback would be the right word?
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Or maybe, just maybe, I’d say that Apple should’ve been able to see this coming a mile away, and that if they somehow couldn’t then Apple wouldn’t be able to pass the eye chart for a driving test, because no shit. Yes, ding ding ding. That’s it.
When Apple News began using AI to summarize news coverage and provide AI-generated headlines for notifications in iOS 18.2, they surely weren’t anticipating the blowback they’d receive. But they sure should’ve, because with the upcoming iOS 18.3, they’re yanking it.
“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,” an Apple spokesperson said.
The BBC was one of several news websites to complain to Apple about inaccurate news alerts branded with the BBC logo. One such fake story that Apple News’ was an AI-generated headline that Luigi Mangione, who’s been accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had shot himself (he hasn’t).
Another fake alert falsely attributed to the New York Times claimed Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had been arrested (he also hasn’t).
The BBC had complained to Apple in December, not long after iOS 18.2 was released on December 11, “but it did not respond until January when it promised a software update that would clarify the role of AI in creating the summaries, which were optional and only available to readers with the latest iPhones,” said the BBC.
Detractors weren’t satisfied. The National Union of Journalists and Reporters Without Borders wanted Apple to get rid of it, not try to tweak it. And late into this week, Apple finally relented.
“We’re pleased that Apple has listened to our concerns and is pausing the summarisation feature for news,” said a BBC spokesperson. “We look forward to working with them constructively on next steps. Our priority is the accuracy of the news we deliver to audiences which is essential to building and maintaining trust.”
Vet it And Forget it
There’s been a popular saying for decades that seems tailor-made for the information age: “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.” It wasn’t Mark Twain who said that, although it certainly sounds like something he’d say.
A person sees a notification pop up on their iPhone’s lock screen or on a banner over their iPad’s home screen, branded with the logo of a reputable news source, and why wouldn’t even a digitally literate skeptic believe it?
If Apple News—or any organization involved in sharing the news—wants to incorporate a technology such as this, the finished product needs to be vetted beyond measure. This was a sloppy move, and though Apple eventually did the right thing, it took too long when it should’ve have been released this way to begin with.
Just keep in mind that until you upgrade to iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3, you’ll continue to receive these AI-generated notifications through Apple News.
