Apple suspends AI notification summaries after false alerts

Apple has suspended AI-driven notification summaries for news and apps after criticism that they provided inaccurate information, TechCrunch reports.

In the latest developer builds of iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3 and macOS Sequoia 15.3, the company has disabled the feature for refinement. It is expected to return in future releases.

In December 2024 the BBC complained about misinformation. Apple Intelligence generated a false headline about a high-profile case in the United States, incorrectly stating that Luigi Mangione, arrested on suspicion of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had shot himself.

Additionally, notification summaries for select apps will appear in italics, making them easier to distinguish from regular alerts. Users will also be able to disable the feature directly from the lock screen.

Apple will begin warning that the service is experimental and may contain errors.

The public beta of iOS 18.3 is expected next week. The timeline for a broader release is unknown.

In November 2024, Apple released a software update for iPhone, iPad and Mac, adding ChatGPT support to the Siri voice assistant and other AI features.

In late October, the public release took place of Apple Intelligence — users of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1 gained access to the first AI-powered tools.