Apple is facing fresh calls to withdraw its controversial artificial intelligence (AI) feature that has generated inaccurate news alerts on its latest iPhones.
The product is meant to summarise breaking news notifications but has in some instances invented entirely false claims.
The BBC first complained to the tech giant about its journalism being misrepresented in December but Apple did not respond until Monday this week, when it said it was working to clarify that summaries were AI-generated.
Alan Rusbridger, the former editor of the Guardian, told the BBC Apple needed to go further and pull a product he said was “clearly not ready.”
Mr Rusbridger, who also sits on Meta’s Oversight Board that reviews appeals of the company’s content moderation decisions, added the technology was “out of control” and posed a considerable misinformation risk.
“Trust in news is low enough already without giant American corporations coming in and using it as a kind of test product,” he told the Today programme, on BBC Radio Four.
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ), one of the world’s largest unions for journalists, said Apple “must act swiftly” and remove Apple Intelligence to avoid misinforming the public – echoing prior calls by journalism body Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
“At a time where access to accurate reporting has never been more important, the public must not be placed in a position of second-guessing the accuracy of news they receive,” said Laura Davison, NUJ general secretary.
The RSF also said Apple’s intervention was insufficient, and has repeated its demand that the product is taken off-line.