Paused: Apple's AI summary faces the same fate as Google's botched AI Overview feature

Apple is now pulling out the plug of its AI summary feature, following backlash here and there from publications that mistakenly reworded their products.

Folks over at MacRumors have noticed that the latest iOS 18.3 version, which arrived recently, temporarily disables the AI-powered Notification Summaries for news and entertainment. The Cupertino tech giant made the decision after tons of complaints about its inaccuracies and confusion caused by Apple Intelligence’s AI summarization.

The BBC previously raised the concern.

Last month, the British publication complained that Apple’s AI summary falsely stated that Luigi Mangione, accused of murdering healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had shot himself.

Apple Intelligence’s AI summary feature groups notifications, emails, and text messages into concise summaries.

While summaries remain available for other app categories, Apple has introduced new customization options, such as managing summaries directly from the Lock Screen.

Google’s AI Overview, its one-stop AI summary that sums up a page of Google Search, was also paused after it first launched.

AI Overview has mistakenly called former US president Barack Obama a Muslim, a common misconception, and even said that you need to glue your pizza.

But Google seems to be bouncing back from that mistake. In fact, in October 2024, the Mountain View tech giant said that it’s expanded the feature globally to over 100 countries, supported multiple languages like English, Hindi, and Spanish, with over a billion expected users.

Google’s AI Overview, powered by Gemini, has also now integrated more ads into its answers.