Musk vows to ban Apple devices if they use OpenAI tech

Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and the social media company X announced on Monday that he would ban Apple devices from his companies if Apple integrates OpenAI technology at the operating system level. Musk called this move an ‘unacceptable security violation’ and declared that visitors would have to leave their Apple devices in a Faraday cage at the entrance to his facilities.

The statement followed Apple’s announcement of new AI features across its apps and operating platforms, including a partnership with OpenAI to incorporate ChatGPT technology into its devices. Apple emphasised that these AI features are designed with privacy at their core, using both on-device processing and cloud computing to ensure data security. Musk, however, expressed scepticism, arguing that Apple’s reliance on OpenAI undermines its ability to protect user privacy and security effectively.

Industry experts, such as Ben Bajarin, CEO of Creative Strategies, believe that Musk’s stance is unlikely to gain widespread support. Bajarin noted that Apple aims to reassure users that its private cloud services are as secure as on-device data storage. He explained that Apple anonymises and firewalls user data, ensuring that Apple itself does not access it.

Musk’s criticism of OpenAI is not new; he co-founded the organisation in 2015 but sued it earlier this year, alleging it strayed from its mission to develop AI for the benefit of humanity. Musk has since launched his own AI startup, xAI, valued at $24 billion after a recent funding round, to compete directly with OpenAI and develop alternatives to its popular ChatGPT.