Apple Disables AI News Notifications in Beta iPhone Software

Apple has paused AI news summaries in its beta software due to inaccuracies, affecting only beta users while improvements are underway.

Apple Disables AI News Notifications in Beta iPhone Software
Apple Disables AI News Notifications in Beta iPhone Software

Cupertino: So, Apple’s been having a bit of a rough time with its AI news summaries. They just hit pause on that feature for users testing their beta software. It seems like the AI was mixing up facts and causing some confusion, which isn’t great for a company that prides itself on accuracy.

This decision comes right after the BBC pointed out some pretty wild inaccuracies in the notifications. It’s only affecting those on the beta version, so if you’re using the regular iPhone software, you’re in the clear for now. News apps like The New York Times even popped up a message saying the AI summaries are “temporarily unavailable.”

Apple’s spokesperson mentioned they’re working on fixes and improvements, but they didn’t give a timeline for when the next update would roll out. It could take a few weeks, which is pretty standard for Apple. Interestingly, this news came on a day when Apple’s stock took a hit, closing down 4%. Analysts are saying the AI features aren’t really boosting iPhone sales, which is a bummer for them.

Apple launched this AI feature back in October, hoping to compete in the AI race that kicked off with ChatGPT. They’ve been marketing it heavily, but it seems like the software has had its fair share of hiccups. The whole system is still in beta, and they’ve even added a note saying the AI can produce unexpected results.

The AI was supposed to help summarize notifications, making it easier to keep up with group chats and news. But when it came to news, things got messy. There were some pretty funny errors, but also some serious ones. Like that time it combined multiple BBC notifications into a headline that made it sound like someone shot themselves—definitely not true!

There were also false claims about high-profile figures, like a notification saying Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu had been arrested, which was totally wrong. And then there was the mix-up about Rafael Nadal, which was just bizarre.

Now, Apple has added a new feature that lets users turn off AI summaries directly from the lock screen, which is a nice touch. It’s clear they’re trying to make things right, but it’s been a rocky road so far.

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