Apple introduces AI-enhanced app review summaries in iOS 18.4, as reported by TechCrunch.

As part of the ongoing public beta for the iOS 18.4 software update, Apple is set to unveil AI-driven summaries of App Store reviews. This innovative feature will utilize Apple Intelligence, the company’s proprietary AI technology, to provide a comprehensive overview based on user feedback available on the App Store. According to information on Apple’s website, these review summaries will be crafted using large language models (LLMs) and will distill essential insights into a concise paragraph. The summaries are expected to be updated weekly for applications and games that receive a sufficient volume of reviews, although Apple has not disclosed the specific criteria for this threshold. Users of the App Store will have the option to report any issues with the review summaries by tapping and holding on the review, while app developers can notify Apple of any concerns through App Store Connect. Initially, AI summaries will be available in English within the United States, with plans to expand to additional markets and languages throughout the year, provided the apps have an adequate number of reviews. This feature will also be accessible on iPadOS 18.4. The introduction of this feature, first noted by Macworld in the latest beta version, raises concerns that it may incentivize unscrupulous app developers to inundate their ratings and review sections with fraudulent reviews generated by bots or compensated individuals, who may leave overly positive comments regarding the app or its features. While such practices are already prevalent in the app industry and on various platforms that host customer reviews, the implementation of AI summaries could exacerbate the issue. Consumers might begin to place undue reliance on the summary rather than thoroughly examining all reviews, both favorable and unfavorable. Additionally, this feature will assess Apple’s AI’s capability to accurately identify and highlight any negative feedback or concerns present in the App Store reviews within these AI-generated summaries. Apple is not alone in exploring AI for review analysis; Amazon launched AI summaries for product reviews on its platform in 2023, and Google’s Gemini AI is also being utilized for similar purposes.