A problem occurred in which the content of a BBC article was distorted and false breaking news was notified to users due to news summaries using the artificial intelligence function “Apple Intelligence” introduced by Apple. Reporters Without Borders demanded that the function be removed, saying that this false news threatened the credibility of the media and the public’s right to know. The AI in question showed technical immaturity, and concerns of international NGOs and friction with existing media have come to the surface.
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This article is based on an article from CNN.co.jp (https://www.cnn.co.jp/tech/35227519.html), with additional summary and commentary.
【Will the wrong interpretation cause a stir?】
Recently, I was thinking that it seems a little like the near future that AI can summarize news on its own, and it seems that Apple’s AI has done it. It seems that it has mistakenly summarized an article from the BBC and released a strange flash report as if the suspect had shot himself. Technology is convenient, but when I encounter “AI trouble” like this, I feel like “tomorrow is my turn?” because I also use AI to summarize articles.
【Reporters Without Borders is a group of doctors?】
I often hear about Doctors Without Borders, but this time it seems that an international NGO called Reporters Without Borders has lodged a complaint with Apple. They seem to be angry, saying, “False information that cites the name of a news organization will destroy its credibility!” They are basically an organization that works to protect freedom of speech and the accuracy of news reporting, and just as the Doctors Without Borders provide medical support, the Reporters Without Borders support citizens in terms of information. The fact that NGOs like this are speaking out is probably evidence that the twisting of information by AI has become a problem that is no laughing matter.
【How smart is Apple Intelligence?】
Every time Apple introduces a new feature, we tend to think “wow! , but this time, the AI was supposed to summarize the news in an easy-to-understand way, but it has actually created confusion. In short, the limitations of natural language processing (NLP) are on full display. The AI is still far from being a “great reporter with perfect reading comprehension”, and sometimes it can make a completely different meaning depending on the one character difference. From the perspective of an international NGO, this is probably a serious warning saying “Don’t shake the reliability of the news with immature AI! As an Apple fan, I want them to do their best!
【Are international NGOs acting as the world’s antenna?】
International NGOs like Reporters Without Borders are like guardians who keep an eye on the global media environment. They are not dependent on any particular country or government, and they point out what is wrong across national borders. Without this kind of global perspective, if companies and countries were to tamper with information for their own convenience, no one would be able to complain. As the number of AI-related problems increases, the presence of NGOs like this may become even more important.
【The limitations of NLP and the way forward】
Natural language processing technology is steadily progressing, but it’s not yet “perfect”. In this case, it may not be that the AI distorted the truth, but that it just made a mistaken assumption. But a false report is still a false report. As long as users can’t be 100% sure about AI-driven news summaries, media literacy will become increasingly important. It will be interesting to see how the removal of functions and improvements are handled, and in order for us to make good use of AI, we may need to get into the habit of always questioning whether or not it really understands.
