Apple's Notification Summary feature has been temporarily suspended due to its tendency to disseminate unintended fake news to users. The issue arose from an AI malfunction where Apple Intelligence, responsible for summarizing news content from various news and entertainment apps, began to hallucinate. This led to the distribution of misleading information instead of accurate updates. The problem was brought to light by users and news publications, prompting Apple to take immediate action.
The tech giant has removed the Notification Summary feature from iOS 18.2 devices following the discovery of these inaccuracies. The company is actively encouraging users to report any issues they encounter with Notification Summary or other Apple Intelligence experiences. Apple has acknowledged the problem and confirmed that they are diligently working on a solution.
The malfunction was specifically affecting the summarization of news content, leading to the spread of false information among users. Apple's AI system, still in its beta phase, relied heavily on headlines, often jumping to conclusions without verifying facts. This glitch is not exclusive to Apple, as similar issues with AI hallucinations have been reported by other technology companies such as Google, Microsoft, Meta, and OpenAI.
Despite the setback, Apple remains committed to refining its AI capabilities. The latest iOS 18.3 beta version has already seen the removal of the Notification Summary feature as Apple continues to develop a fix. Although the company has not provided a timeline for when the feature will be restored, it remains focused on enhancing these experiences in future updates.
