Apple faces backlash over AI-generated news errors

Critics warn Apple’s AI-generated news alerts pose a serious misinformation risk, with major errors prompting calls for the feature’s removal.

Apple, AI generated news, misinformation, criticism, backlash

Apple is facing mounting criticism over its AI-generated news summaries, which have produced inaccurate and misleading alerts on its latest iPhones. Media organisations, including the BBC, have raised concerns that the feature, designed to summarise breaking news notifications, has fabricated details that contradict original reports. The National Union of Journalists and Reporters Without Borders have called for the product’s removal, warning it risks spreading misinformation at a time when trust in news is already fragile.

High-profile errors have fuelled demands for urgent action. In December, an Apple AI summary falsely claimed that a murder suspect had taken his own life, while another inaccurately announced Luke Littler as the winner of the PDC World Darts Championship before the event had even begun. Apple has pledged to update the feature to make it clearer that summaries are AI-generated, but critics argue this does not address the root problem.

Journalism watchdogs and industry experts have warned that AI-driven news aggregation remains unreliable. The BBC stressed that the errors could undermine public trust, while former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger described Apple’s technology as “out of control”. Similar concerns have been raised over generative AI tools from other tech firms, with Google’s AI-powered search summaries also facing scrutiny for producing incorrect responses. Apple insists the feature remains optional and is still in beta testing, with further improvements expected in an upcoming software update.