False news of Luigi Mangione suicide was generated by AI; BBC complains to Apple

BBC said it had reached out to Apple to fix the issue after a false AI-generated notification from the news outlet.

BBC has complained to Apple after the iPhone-maker’s AI-powered Apple Intelligence led to a BBC news notification that falsely claimed that Luigi Mangione, the man accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had tried to end his life.

The news was false, and BBC has complained to Apple about the incorrect AI-generated notification that was shown to iPhone users.

This is not the first time that AI-generated text has resulted in misinformation or inaccurate statements. Google’s Gemini chatbot earlier this year gave users harmful tips about adding glue to pizza.

A screenshot of a grouped news notification shared on social media platforms online showed a BBC notification that said “Luigi Mangione shoots himself.”

This triggered widespread panic, confusion, and conspiracy theories online.

BBC had not yet verified the screenshot officially, but is in touch with Apple about the incident. Apple is also yet to formally address the issue.

“BBC News is the most trusted news media in the world. It is essential to us that our audiences can trust any information or journalism published in our name and that includes notifications. We have contacted Apple to raise this concern and fix the problem,” said a BBC spokesperson in a statement, quoted by AFP.