Apple Intelligence falsely claims Luigi Mangione shot himself

Occurred: December 2024

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Notifications from Apple's new generative AI product falsely suggested the BBC claimed New York gunman Luigi Mangione had killed himself, triggering questions about the tech company's technology and governance.

What happened

A misleading notification sent to iPhone users by Apple's generative AI feature, known as Apple Intelligence, erroneously stated that Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had shot himself.ย 

The notification also falsely attributed the report to BBC News, prompting a formal complaint from the broadcaster.

Why it happened

Designed to summarise news articles from several third-party sites, Apple Intelligence's news notifications failed to understand or accurately represent the content of the original reports.

Instead of conveying factual information about Mangione's legal troubles - including multiple charges of murder and terrorism - the system generated a sensationalised and false headline.

What it means

The incident underscores the tendency of many generative AI systems to "hallucinate" false facts, including in sensitive situtations involving reputable news organisations such as the BBC.

Specifically, it raises questions about Apple's failure to design and manage Apple Intelligence in an effective manner.ย 

Hallucination (artificial intelligence)

In the field of artificial intelligence (AI), a hallucination or artificial hallucination (also called bullshitting, confabulation or delusion) is a response generated by AI that contains false or misleading information presented as fact.

Source: Wikipedia ๐Ÿ”—

System ๐Ÿค–

Operator:
Developer: Apple
Country: UK
Sector: Media/entertainment/sports/arts
Purpose: Summarise news
Technology: Generative AI; Machine learning
Issue: Accuracy/reliability; Mis/disinformation

Page info
Type: Issue
Published: December 2024