Apple AI alert falsely claimed Luke Littler had already won darts final

Recently, a significant error occurred with Apple’s AI news alerts, which mistakenly announced that darts player Luke Littler had already won the PDC World Championship before he even played in the final match. This incorrect information was generated by artificial intelligence based on a BBC article that reported on Littler's victory in the semi-finals the night before. The false alert was sent out just hours before Littler was scheduled to compete in the championship final on Friday evening. In a separate incident, another AI-generated notification incorrectly informed users of the BBC Sport app that tennis superstar Rafael Nadal had publicly come out as gay. Apple has been approached for comments regarding these inaccuracies but has previously chosen not to respond to similar issues involving false AI alerts. Apple Intelligence, the AI software responsible for these notifications, was launched in the UK in December 2024. Its purpose is to provide users with a simple summary of missed app alerts by compiling them into a single message and using AI to summarize the content. The erroneous alert about Littler was seen by users of the BBC News app earlier that day, which included a notification stating: 'Luke Littler won PDC World Championship; South Korean investigators call off arrest attempt; flu cases rising. ' This incident highlights the potential for AI to misinterpret and misreport information. Additionally, the incorrect alert regarding Rafael Nadal appeared to relate to a story discussing his openness about his sexuality and its broader implications for the sport. A spokesperson for the BBC emphasized the urgency for Apple to address this issue, noting that it has occurred multiple times. As a leading news organization, the BBC believes it is essential for audiences to trust the information they receive, including notifications. The BBC has previously raised concerns with Apple about the Apple Intelligence feature, particularly when it misreported a high-profile murder case in the United States. Although these summary notifications may seem to come directly from the BBC, they are actually interpretations made by Apple’s AI of longer headlines. Other news stories included in the summaries that day, such as those about South Korea and rising flu cases, were reported accurately by Apple Intelligence.