On Monday, Elon Musk announced that he would ban Apple devices from his companies if Apple proceeds with integrating OpenAI’s ChatGPT into its software.
During the Worldwide Developer’s Conference, Apple unveiled its new AI software, Apple Intelligence, and a partnership with OpenAI.
This partnership will bring ChatGPT capabilities to Apple products, including Siri, in the upcoming iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia updates.
The integration will allow users to access ChatGPT for free without an account.
This upgrade aims to enhance Siri’s abilities and offer systemwide Writing Tools and image generation features.
Musk criticized Apple for not developing its own AI and voiced concerns about data security and privacy with OpenAI’s involvement.
He expressed distrust in Apple’s ability to safeguard user data with OpenAI’s integration, calling it a significant security risk.
Apple, however, assured users that privacy protections are in place. According to Apple, users’ IP addresses will be obscured, and OpenAI will not store requests.
Users who link their accounts will be subject to ChatGPT’s data-use policies.
Musk’s criticism of OpenAI is not new.
He co-founded and financed OpenAI but later distanced himself, accusing the company of straying from its mission to develop AI for humanity’s benefit. Musk has since started his own AI company, xAI, and a ChatGPT competitor called Grok.
This recent conflict adds to Musk’s history of disputes with Apple and its CEO, Tim Cook, despite a temporary reconciliation in late 2022.