Apple’s forthcoming AI, Apple Intelligence, is being tested by users running the beta version of iOS. One notable feature is notification summaries, which distill notifications into brief snippets. While useful for news or work messages, the feature recently caught attention for its less empathetic applications.
On Wednesday, NYC-based Nick Spreen received a surprising alert on his iPhone 15 Pro through an early test version of Apple’s text message summary feature. The AI-penned message read: “No longer in a relationship; wants belongings from the apartment,” summarizing the content of several breakup texts from his girlfriend. Spreen shared a screenshot of the AI-generated message on the social network X, writing, “For anyone who’s wondered what an Apple intelligence summary of a breakup text looks like.” He confirmed that the screenshot does not show his ex-girlfriend’s full real name, only a nickname.
This summary feature of Apple Intelligence, announced by the iPhone maker in June, isn’t expected to fully ship until iOS 18.1. However, it has been part of iOS 18 since July, which is what Spreen is running on his iPhone. It works by reading incoming text messages and delivering a simplified version of their content. On X, Spreen faced skepticism over whether the message was real.
He clarified in a follow-up post, “Yes this was real / yes it happened yesterday / yes it was my birthday,” adding a layer of irony to the situation. He elaborated that his girlfriend’s messages were something along the lines of “I can’t believe you just did that, we’re done, I want my stuff.” They had an argument in a bar, and after she left, she sent the breakup texts. When asked how he felt about getting the news via an AI summary, Spreen shared, “I do feel like it added a level of distance to it that wasn’t a bad thing.
Apple Intelligence summarizes breakup texts
Maybe a bit like a personal assistant who stays professional and has your back even in the most awful situations, but yeah, more than anything it felt unreal and dystopian.”
Spreen’s experience is the first publicly known AI-mediated relationship breakup, but it likely won’t be the last. As the Apple Intelligence feature rolls out widely and other tech companies embrace AI message summarization, many people will likely receive bad news through AI summaries.
This trend reflects our evolving social tolerance for tech advancements. Back in the 2000s when SMS texting was still new, etiquette experts considered breaking up via text messages rude. A 2007 survey commissioned by Samsung showed that only about 11 percent of Americans thought it was acceptable to break up this way.
By 2009, as texting became more common, the stance on texting break-ups began to soften. Today, with text messaging being the default way most adults communicate remotely, breaking up through text has become commonplace. Looking ahead, we might even see personal AI assistants delivering sensitive breakup messages on behalf of their users.
While this may sound far-fetched now, it underscores how integral technology has become to our personal lives. This incident highlights areas for improvement in Apple Intelligence’s emotional intelligence. It remains to be seen how Apple will adjust the summary feature to better handle emotionally sensitive topics.
In addition to this innovation, Apple continues to refine its suite of AI-driven tools aimed at enhancing user experience and productivity.
Noah Nguyen is a multi-talented developer who brings a unique perspective to his craft. Initially a creative writing professor, he turned to Dev work for the ability to work remotely. He now lives in Seattle, spending time hiking and drinking craft beer with his fiancee.
