IPHONE users have been warned over a “dangerous” feature which automatically enables during the latest software update.
Apple has just rolled out iOS 18.3 for millions of devices.
The update has seen artificial intelligence (AI) features automatically enabled on iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 Pro/Max models.
Before the update, users had to turn on Apple Intelligence in their settings.
Not only does the AI pull information from apps and take action within them, but it needs a lot of storage to do so.
Tech gurus warned that the system will take up 7GB on whatever device its running on.
And some experts have branded the system “dangerous” when it comes to the Notification Summaries feature.
The feature uses AI to condense multiple notifications from different apps into a single notification.
Apple say this is “to make them more succinct and easier to read.”
However, on several occasions the Notification Summaries feature misconstrued notifications which has created misleading or inaccurate news headlines.
Petros Iosifidis, a media policy professor at the City University in London told BBC News there are some advantages to this type of feature.
But added: “The technology is not there yet and there is a real danger of spreading misinformation.”
The summaries pop-up on iPhone screens like every other notification, and are designed to condense long or stacked notifications.
However, they are pushed with the logo of the reporting news outlet – making it seem as though they are coming from within the organisation’s app and not via AI.
It follows a complaint by the BBC last month after AI-generated summaries of its headlines were false.
One incorrect summary told iPhone owners that Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had shot himself.
How to turn off Apple Intelligence
If you have downloaded iOS 18.3 but don’t want it on your Apple device then you will have to manually change the default setting.
To do this you have to open the Settings app, scroll down and select Apple Intelligence & Siri.
Then switch off Apple Intelligence and confirm ‘Turn Off Apple Intelligence’ when prompted.
Apple rolled out its first Apple Intelligence AI features in late October, with a second tranche that included the AI summaries tool following in December.
The features, which include a raft of perks including a smarter Siri and writing tools, have been met with a largely positive reception.
However, Apple has admitted that its Apple Intelligence features are still “in beta” – meaning it may contain flaws that need to be ironed out in future iOS updates.
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