A false Luigi Mangione news alert generated by the new Apple Intelligence feature launched in the UK has raised concerns about the tool.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called for a suspension of GenAI services like Apple Intelligence following a false Luigi Mangione news alert.
Describing itself as “very concerned about the risks posed to media outlets” from new artificial intelligence (AI) tools like Apple Intelligence, RSF says the incident is a clear illustration that generative AI tools are still “too immature” to produce reliable information for the public, and should not be allowed on the market for this purpose.
“AIs are probability machines, and facts can’t be decided by a roll of the dice,” said Vincent Berthier, head of RSF’s technology and journalism desk.
“RSF calls on Apple to act responsibly by removing this feature. The automated production of false information attributed to a media outlet is a blow to the outlet’s credibility and a danger to the public’s right to reliable information on current affairs.”
Berthier added that, despite being the most advanced legislation in the world in this area, The EU AI Act failed to classify information-generating AIs as high-risk systems, leaving a critical legal vacuum. “This gap must be filled immediately,” he warned.
Launched in the UK on 11 December, the BBC had announced a complaint to Apple a few days later after a news summary generated by the new AI feature falsely announced the suicide of Luigi Mangione, the main suspect in the murder of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare.
As errors go, this was a pretty big one and according to RSF, it highlights the inability of AI systems to “systematically publish quality information, even when it is based on journalistic sources”.
“The probabilistic way in which AI systems operate automatically disqualifies them as a reliable technology for news media that can be used in solutions aimed at the general public,” the RSF said in a statement.
In 2023, given the risks to media caused by AI in the information space, the RSF launched the Paris Charter Initiative, which sets out 10 essential principles to guarantee the integrity of information and preserve journalism’s role as a public service.
“Rights holders must make the re-use of their content conditional on respect for the integrity of the information and the fundamental principles of journalistic ethics,” the charter states.
Don’t miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.
