Apple has suspended a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature that sent notifications with inaccurate summaries of news headlines, drawing criticism from journalism organizations and media outlets.
The tech giant had faced mounting pressure to withdraw the service, which was designed to provide concise summaries of news stories for users. However, the AI-generated alerts were found to be riddled with errors, including false reports on a high-profile case and inaccuracies in summaries from reputable news sources such as Sky News, the New York Times, and the Washington Post.
Journalism organizations, including Reporters Without Borders (RSF), warned that the feature’s release was premature and could compromise the accuracy of news. The RSF said that innovation must not come at the expense of reliable information and called for the suspension of the service until it can be guaranteed to publish accurate headlines.
Apple has now disabled the feature entirely for news and entertainment apps, with users receiving italicized text summaries instead. The company stated that improvements would be made available in a future software update.
The incident highlights concerns about the potential dangers of relying on AI-generated content, particularly when it is presented as reliable. Jonathan Bright, head of AI for public services at the Alan Turing Institute, warned that hallucinations – where an AI model makes things up – are a “real concern” and require human oversight to prevent.
Apple’s decision to suspend the feature demonstrates its commitment to addressing concerns about accuracy and reliability in news reporting. The company’s willingness to listen to criticism and make changes is a rare example of its usually robust stance on products.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq5ggew08eyo