(Reuters) – On Monday, billionaire Elon Musk announced that he would ban Apple devices from his companies if the iPhone maker integrates OpenAI technology at the operating system level.
Musk, who is the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and the owner of social media company X, described the integration as “an unacceptable security violation” in a post on X.
Musk elaborated that visitors to his companies would be required to check their Apple devices at the door, where they would be stored in a Faraday cage to prevent any electromagnetic communication.
This announcement followed Apple’s earlier disclosure of new AI features across its apps and operating systems, including a partnership with OpenAI to incorporate ChatGPT technology. Apple emphasized that its AI developments are built with privacy at the forefront, utilizing a mix of on-device processing and cloud computing.
In his post, Musk criticized Apple’s reliance on OpenAI, questioning both Apple’s inability to develop its own AI and the assurances of security and privacy from OpenAI.
Ben Bajarin, CEO of consulting firm Creative Strategies, commented on Musk’s stance, suggesting it was unlikely to gain widespread support. He noted that Apple is attempting to educate consumers on the security of private cloud solutions compared to solely on-device data storage.
Apple and OpenAI did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment on the matter.
