Apple has paused its error-strewn AI-generated news alerts following backlash from news organisations.

The tech giants had been facing mounting pressure as the feature, which sent summaries of news alerts that appeared to be from news organisations’ apps, repeatedly made mistakes and failed to grasp the news elements of stories. 

On Thursday (16 January), Apple released a beta software update to developers, which disabled the AI feature for news and entertainment headlines. 

Among those to complain about the alerts, which are part of Apple’s Intelligence tools, was the BBC. In December, Apple’s AI falsely told readers that Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had shot himself.

More recently, the National Union of Journalists demanded that Apple’s generative AI feature “must be revoked” over its misleading notifications.

In addition to pulling notification summaries for selected apps, all AI-generated notification summaries will now be shown in Italics to make it easier for users to differentiate them from regular notifications. 

Users who had opted into using the service are now being shown a “temporarily unavailable” message, however, according to MacRumours, Apple plans to bring back the feature in a future software update following tweaks.

Prior to the rollback, Apple said that it would release an update to “further clarify” when text had been summarised using Apple Intelligence.

“Apple Intelligence features are in beta and we are continuously making improvements with the help of user feedback,” added a company spokesperson.

Google enlists the AP to power Gemini

Last week, fellow tech giant Google announced that its Gemini app will now be powered by news from The Associated Press (AP).

The AP will now deliver a feed of “real-time information to help further enhance the usefulness of results” displayed within Gemini – Google’s AI-powered chatbot.

Previously the AP has collaborated with Google to provide up-to-date information for features in Google search and Kristin Heitmann, Senior VP and Chief Revenue Officer at the AP,  said that the expansion of its partnership with Google is “based on working together to provide timely, accurate news and information to global audiences”.

She added: “We are pleased Google recognises the value of AP’s journalism as well as our commitment to nonpartisan reporting, in the development of its generative AI products.”