Technology & Innovation

Apple urged to remove AI feature after it created a false headline


Getty Images Luigi Mangione looks down as he exits the buildingGetty Images

Luigi Mangione, who faces a murder charge, was the subject of a false headline attributed to BBC News last week.

A major press corps has urged Apple to scrap its new artificial intelligence feature after it created a misleading headline about a high-profile murder in the US.

The BBC filed a complaint to the US tech giant after Apple Intelligence, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to summarize notifications and group them together, created a headline about murder suspect Luigi Mangione.

The AI-powered summary showed that BBC News published an article claiming that Mangione, the man accused of killing health insurance CEO Brian Thompson in New York, had shot himself. He didn’t do that.

Now, Reporters Without Borders has called on Apple to remove the technology. Apple did not make any comment.

BBC News Enlarged phone screenshot of the misleading BBC notification from an iPhone. It reads: "BBC News, Luigi Mangione shoots himself; A Syrian mother hopes that Assad will pay the price; South Korean police raid Yoon Suk-yeol's office".BBC News

Enlarged iPhone screenshot of misleading BBC notice

Apple Intelligence launched in the UK last week.

Reporters Without Borders, also known as Reporters Without Borders, said it was “deeply concerned about the risks that artificial intelligence tools pose to the media.”

The group said The BBC incident proves that “productive AI services are still too immature to produce reliable information for the public.”

Vincent Berthier, head of RSF’s Technology and Journalism Bureau, added: “AI are probabilistic machines, and facts cannot be determined by rolling the dice.

“Reporters Without Borders calls on Apple to act responsibly by removing this feature. The automated production of false information attributed to a media outlet is a blow to the credibility of the outlet and a danger to the public’s right to reliable information about current affairs.”

Apple has not made any comment since the story broke last week.

When the bulk notification related to BBC News appeared, a BBC spokesperson said the company had contacted Apple “to raise this concern and resolve the issue.”

The notice that made the false claim about Mangione was accurate in its summaries about the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria and an update on South Korean President Yeon Suk-yul.

The BBC has not yet confirmed whether Apple has responded to her complaint.

Mangione He has now been charged with first-degree murder In the murder of Mr. Thompson.

Ken Schwenke Screenshot of a misleading mass notice from the New York Times. It reads: "Netanyahu arrested; Jussie Smollett's conviction overturned; Matt Gaetz withdraws from the study".Ken Schwenke

A screenshot of a mass notice from The New York Times was also said to be misleading.

The BBC doesn’t appear to be the only news publisher to have its headlines skewed by Apple’s new AI technology.

On November 21, three articles from The New York Times were grouped together into one notice — with one part reading “Netanyahu Arrested,” referring to the Israeli prime minister.

He was inaccurately summarizing a report on the ICC issuing an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, not any report on his arrest.

The error was highlighted on Bluesky By journalist Ken Schwenke with US investigative journalism site ProPublica.

Schwenke told the BBC that he took the screenshot and confirmed it was real. The New York Times declined to comment.

What is Apple Intelligence Notification Summary?

As part of the rollout of Apple Intelligence, Apple is allowing users to group notifications.

Apple said customers might like this to help reduce interruptions caused by constant notifications.

It’s only available on certain iPhones — those running iOS 18.1 or later on recent devices (all iPhone 16, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max). It’s also available on some iPad and Mac devices.

Bulk notifications are highlighted with a specific icon, and users can report any concerns they have in the notification summary. Apple did not specify the number of reports it received.

Apple Intelligence doesn’t just summarize publisher articles, it also reportedly summarizes emails and text messages Sometimes it didn’t quite hit the mark.

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