Apple Temporarily Disables AI News Summaries in Beta Software Amid Challenges
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Apple has halted its AI-powered news summaries feature in its beta software due to ongoing challenges with its artificial intelligence technology. The temporary pause comes after reports of inaccuracies in AI-generated notifications, including a widely noted error highlighted by the BBC.
The suspension affects only beta users and does not extend to Apple’s primary operating systems. On Thursday, apps like The New York Times displayed a message in the iPhone settings app stating that AI-powered summaries were “temporarily unavailable.”
Apple acknowledged the issue in a statement to CNBC, explaining that the decision to pause the feature coincides with the release of beta updates for iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3. An Apple spokesperson assured users that improvements are underway and will be included in a future software update, though no specific timeline for the main release was provided.
AI-Related Setbacks Impact Apple’s Progress
The announcement came on the same day Apple’s stock experienced its steepest decline since August, dropping 4%. Analysts, including Ming-Chi Kuo, have expressed concerns over the lack of impact the Apple Intelligence suite has had on boosting iPhone sales.
First introduced in October, Apple Intelligence was touted as a flagship feature of the latest iPhone models, part of Apple’s response to Silicon Valley’s rapid AI advancements sparked by OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022. Despite its promise, the AI software has faced significant scrutiny and user criticism.
The AI summaries, designed to condense notifications into digestible sentences, have been one of the most promoted features. However, errors in news notifications have undermined its reliability. Examples include merging multiple BBC notifications into a headline claiming, “Luigi Mangione shoots himself,” and falsely reporting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was arrested. Other notable errors included premature sports announcements and incorrect personal details about public figures.
Apple’s Next Steps
To address user concerns, Apple has introduced the ability to disable AI summaries directly from the lock screen. Previously, this could only be done via the settings app. Additionally, Apple now italicizes AI-generated notifications to differentiate them from standard alerts.
The company maintains that Apple Intelligence remains in beta and warns users that unexpected results may occur. While the feature’s humorous errors have been dismissed as growing pains, inaccuracies in summarizing news have drawn sharper criticism.
Apple’s commitment to refining its AI capabilities continues as it works to regain user trust and ensure the technology delivers the precision its brand promises.
Written by Dev Anand from Funnel Fix It Team
