Musk Threatens to Ban Apple Devices Over OpenAI Integration

Musk Threatens to Ban Apple Devices Over OpenAI Integration

Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, announced on Monday that he would ban Apple devices from his companies if the tech giant integrates OpenAI at the operating system level. “That is an unacceptable security violation,” Musk stated in a post on X, the social media platform he owns.

Musk warned that visitors to his companies would need to check their Apple devices at the door, where they would be stored in a Faraday cage to prevent any security breaches.

Apple recently unveiled a range of AI features across its apps and operating platforms, including a partnership with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT technology to its devices. The company emphasized that their AI developments are built with privacy at the core, using a mix of on-device processing and cloud computing.

However, Musk criticized Apple’s move, claiming, “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!”

Ben Bajarin, CEO of consulting firm Creative Strategies, downplayed the likelihood of Musk’s stance gaining widespread support. He noted that Apple is educating users about the security of private cloud data, emphasizing that Apple itself does not access user data.

This dispute adds another chapter to Musk’s complex history with OpenAI, which he co-founded in 2015. Musk has sued OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, arguing that they have deviated from the nonprofit mission to develop AI for humanity’s benefit. In response, Musk has launched his own AI startup, xAI, aiming to create an alternative to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

As the tech world watches, Musk’s warnings highlight the growing tensions and debates over AI integration and data privacy, with major implications for the future of technology and security.