With the launch of Apple Intelligence and iOS 18.1, Apple introduced summarized notifications to assist users in managing notification overload. These notifications group alerts and display only the essential details. However, the BBC has recently pointed out that these notifications, particularly news alerts, do not consistently deliver accurate information.
What summarized notifications are supposed to do
In iOS 18.1 and later, instead of being overwhelmed with individual notifications, you can receive them bundled into a single, summarized notification. This feature is handy for group chats and news updates.
The summaries utilize AI to identify and present the most critical information. For instance, a summary might indicate when a group chat is especially active or highlight breaking news you should be aware of.
You can receive these summaries at specific times, such as in the morning or evening. This allows you to catch up on missed updates without constant interruptions. Additionally, you can control which apps use summarized notifications, enabling you to customize the experience to suit your preferences.
What summarized notifications are doing
Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that summarized notifications always present accurate information. For example, the BBC pointed out that recent summarizations of BBC news articles said darts player Luke Littler had won the PDC World Championship and tennis great Rafael Nadal had come out as gay. Neither of these events happened. However, the BBC did admit many of the headlines generated by Apple Intelligence were accurate.
These examples come after Reporters Without Boards (RSF) called on Apple to remove the feature. As Vincent Berthier, the head of RSF’s technology and journalism desk, noted in December: “The automated production of false information attributed to a media outlet is a blow to the outlet’s credibility. Further, “he added it was “a danger to the public’s right to reliable information on current affairs.”
What can be done?
When summarized, notifications work; they are helpful. Since using summarized notifications, however, I’ve noticed occasional errors in the headlines generated by Apple Intelligence. While this can be frustrating, I understand that the feature is still new and relies on AI, so it will take time for the company to improve it.
Despite this, BBC, RSF, and others are also right to criticize Apple for its current flaws. Moving forward, it would be helpful for Apple to acknowledge the problem and clarify the steps it is taking to improve the feature.
In the meantime, users can turn off summarized notifications by going into the Settings app and choosing Notifications > Summarized Notifications. From there, you can turn the feature off entirely or by app using toggles.
Apple Intelligence is currently only available on select Apple devices that are running iOS 18.1 or later. For iPhone, this includes the iPhone 16 series, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
