Elon Musk Threatens To Ban Apple Devices Over OpenAI Deal

(RTTNews) - Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, among others, said he would ban Apple devices from his companies if the tech major incorporates OpenAI technology into its operating system.

Musk, in a series of posts on his social media platform X, was responding to Apple's partnership with OpenAI, the developer of generative chatbot ChatGPT, that was announced at its annual developers conference on Monday.

In a post, Musk said, "If Apple integrates OpenAI at the OS level, then Apple devices will be banned at my companies. That is an unacceptable security violation."

He further stated that visitors to his companies will have to check their Apple devices at the door, where they will be stored in a Faraday cage, so as to prevent any potential data breaches.

The iPhone maker, at its annual developers conference, announced new AI-powered features backed by a partnership with OpenAI. An updated version of its voice assistant Siri will be able to tap into ChatGPT and will be capable of hundreds of more tasks. The company also stated that its users will be asked for permission to share their questions with ChatGPT. Their requests and information will not be logged, it said.

In his posts, Musk further said, "It's patently absurd that Apple isn't smart enough to make their own AI, yet is somehow capable of ensuring that OpenAI will protect your security & privacy!.. Apple has no clue what's actually going on once they hand your data over to OpenAI. They're selling you down the river."

Meanwhile, Apple reportedly said that it is using own AI, and its integration with OpenAI is an optional feature.

Apple also emphasised on its commitment to privacy, noting that AI features would prioritise on-device processing and utilise cloud computing with a view to safeguarding user data.

Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015, had stepped down from its board in 2018. In 2023, he established AI company X.AI Corp., doing business as xAI, whose first AI chatbot technology named Grok competes with OpenAI's ChatGPT. Musk, also the owner of brain interface startup Neuralink, recently raised $6 billion in a funding round for xAI.

In March, he filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman alleging that the firm is developing AI for profitability instead of its foundational mission of utilizing it for the benefit of humankind.