Apple to update AI feature after BBC complaint
Tech giant vows to update its Apple Intelligence feature following a complaint by the BBC over inaccurate news alerts.
Tech giant Apple has promised to update its Apple Intelligence feature after a complaint by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) over inaccurate news alerts generated by the AI tool.
The BBC first complained to the multinational corporation and technology firm in December after an Apple Intelligence-summarised notification wrongly suggested the BBC News website had published an article claiming the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Luigi Mangione, had shot himself.
"BBC News is the most trusted news media in the world. It is essential to us that our audiences can trust any information or journalism published in our name and that includes notifications. We have contacted Apple to raise this concern and fix the problem," said the BBC at the time.
The broadcaster was backed by Reporters Without Borders, with the safeguarding NPO calling for the feature to be disabled.
Built into the latest iPhones, as well as some iPads and Macs, Apple Intelligence is a "personal intelligence system" that uses generative AI to help users "communicate, work, and express themselves". Key features include enhanced language tools, creative image generation, and notification summaries. And it is these summaries, which take multiple news alerts from leading agencies and condense them into a short overview, that are currently causing issues.
In addition to the inaccurate report on Mangione, in recent weeks Apple Intelligence notifications have also falsely claimed that Luke Littler had won the PDC World Darts Championship before the event began, and that Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal had come out as gay – both appearing on Apple products as if originating from the BBC's own app.
"These AI summarisations by Apple do not reflect – and in some cases completely contradict – the original BBC content. It is critical that Apple urgently addresses these issues as the accuracy of our news is essential in maintaining trust," declared the BBC in a statement dated 6 January 2025.
While Apple did not respond to the BBC's complaint in December, following these latest errors the company has now formally pledged an update "in the coming weeks" to "further clarify when the text being displayed is summarisation provided by Apple Intelligence". The tech giant also encouraged users to report any concerns about unexpected notification summaries.