Elon Musk Apple OpenAI Controversy: Elon Musk’s Stand against Apple’s ChatGPT Incorporation
Musk is the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI. In an unexpected turn of events, he has threatened to ban Apple devices from his companies. This comes in response to Apple’s recent declaration at WWDC 2024 about their new OpenAI integrations. Musk expressed his distress over user privacy, believing that OpenAI is deeply integrated into Apple’s operating system, potentially accessing personal and private data.
Musk’s posts on X indicate his confusion or disbelief about the relationship between Apple and OpenAI. In spite of pledges from both companies that users are asked for permission before any data is sent to ChatGPT, Musk remains dubious. He prefers OpenAI’s capabilities to remain within a dedicated app, rather than being integrated with Siri.
In a sequence of posts, Musk criticized Apple’s decision, calling it “creepy spyware” and expressing disbelief that Apple, despite its technological expertise, depends on on a third-party AI. He even threatened to ban Apple devices from his companies’ sites if Apple doesn’t reconsider its decision.
Musk’s threat to ban Apple devices at his workplaces, which employ more than 100,000 workers across Tesla, SpaceX and X alone, comes amid a legal battle between the Tesla CEO and OpenAI. In March, Musk took legal action against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, claiming that the artificial intelligence company had violated its original mission statement by putting profits over benefiting humanity.
Apple’s announcement of its partnership with OpenAI emphasized that users’ personal data would remain private, even as the iPhone maker integrates AI into operating systems including iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia. The tech giant said it won’t collect data on users or search their personal data stored on their devices when they use the AI system. Yet Musk expressed cynicism that that Apple users’ personal data will remain private.
“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!” Musk wrote on X. “Apple has no clue what’s actually going on once they hand your data over to OpenAI. They’re selling you down the river.” Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Musk helped found OpenAI in 2015 but stepped down from its board in 2018⁴. At the same time, he is working to build a rival AI company, xAI, which has recruited researchers from OpenAI and other top tech firms with the mission to “maximally benefit all of humanity.”
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