by CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — Apple is discontinuing a bug-prone feature that used artificial intelligence to deliver fake news notifications to some iPhone owners.
The decision was announced on Thursday as part of a test for the next software version, iOS 18.3. The beta version is only available to a relatively small group of iPhone users and developers, but the same features are usually released in an update available to all users several weeks after testing begins.
In the beta update, Apple said it is disabling the AI-generated News and Entertainment feature while it tries to fix the problem that causes the technology to fabricate information – a problem often referred to in the industry as “hallucinations.” “ is referred to. Similar software updates for Apple’s iPad and Mac computers are also in testing.
Even if it is only a temporary suspension, the suspension represents a blow to Apple’s efforts to bring AI to the iPhone and its other products. The push began last September with the launch of the iPhone 16, which is equipped with the computer chip necessary for a technology the Cupertino, California-based company calls “Apple Intelligence.” The premium iPhone 15 models from 2023 also contain the AI processor.
The BBC was among media organizations to complain about inadequate news summary functionality after Apple sent out warnings that turned the reports into false headlines.
In a high-profile blunder last month, the BBC said Apple’s AI-generated summary attributed to BBC News had incorrectly warned that “Luigi Mangione is shooting himself,” even though nothing of the sort had happened to the man accused of being the CEO of UnitedHealthcare fatally shot.
Google was forced to retool a new version of its search engine last year after it discovered that AI-generated summaries above search results were spitting out incorrect information, including some offbeat answers that drew social media attention.
