Apple has made significant changes to its Notification Summaries feature in the iOS 18.3 beta 3 update, addressing widespread criticism over the feature’s inaccuracies. The update, released to developers, temporarily disables Apple Intelligence-powered summaries for news and entertainment apps. This decision follows several instances where the AI-generated summaries mischaracterized news stories, leading to public backlash and concerns about the reliability of the feature.
Notably, Apple has removed Notification Summaries for apps like the BBC News and Sports apps, as well as YouTube, while retaining the feature for other app categories. When attempting to enable summaries for affected apps, users now see a “Temporarily Unavailable” notice accompanied by a disclaimer emphasizing that summaries “may contain errors.” This step underscores Apple’s acknowledgment of the feature’s beta status and its potential for inaccuracies.
One of the key triggers for this overhaul was the backlash from the BBC after Apple Intelligence created false headlines, such as claiming a suspect in a high-profile shooting had shot himself or falsely attributing personal details to a well-known sports figure. These errors highlighted the significant risks associated with AI-driven content summaries, particularly in an era where misinformation already poses challenges to media credibility.
Apple has committed to refining the feature before re-enabling it for news apps. In the meantime, several updates in iOS 18.3 aim to improve user control and transparency. Users can now disable Notification Summaries directly from the Lock Screen or Notification Center by swiping on a notification and selecting the “Turn Off Summaries” option. Additionally, Apple has introduced italicized text to differentiate AI-generated summaries from standard notifications, reducing the likelihood of user confusion.
The company has also updated the Settings interface to include a warning that the Notification Summaries feature is still in beta and may not always be accurate. While Apple has not provided a specific timeline for reintroducing the feature for news apps, it has reassured users that it will work to enhance the accuracy and reliability of its AI summaries.
These changes come amid growing scrutiny of AI in content curation and dissemination, particularly when inaccuracies can harm public trust in journalism.
