ELON MUSK is ready to ban iPhones and Mac computers from his company after tech rival Apple announced plans to use OpenAI.
The billionaire owner of X (formerly known as Twitter) and Tesla said Apple products would not be welcomed at his company if Apple paired with OpenAI‘s ChatGPT.
Apple unveiled a slew of features at its annual Worldwide Developer’s Conference on Monday, June 10, including the controversial decision to fit Siri with GPT.4o.
The move has sparked security concerns, with Musk taking to X to voice his apprehension over Apple AI’s data safety and storage.
Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and now runs a rival firm called xAI after he left the company in 2018.
Musk’s xAI, is an alternative to the viral chatbot ChatGPT. It was recently valued at $24 billion.
In a post on X, Musk said: “If Apple integrates OpenAI at the OS level, then Apple devices will be banned at my companies.
“That is an unacceptable security violation.
“It is patently absurd that Apple isn’t smart enough to make their own AI, yet it is somehow capable of ensuring that OpenAI will protect your security and privacy.
“They are selling you down the river.”
Musk added: “Employee and visitors will have to check their Apple devices at the door, where they will be stored in a Faraday cage.”
A Faraday cage blocks cellular reception, as well as wireless internet and Bluetooth signals.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said that one of the five criteria Apple Intelligence needs to meet is being ‘private’.
He said: “Apple Intelligence will be keeping users’ personal information on their devices rather than uploading it to an Apple-owned cloud’ thanks to the company’s powerful new M chips.”
OpenAI president Greg Brockman, said the new development would be available “later this year”.
He said on X: “Very excited!”
It’s not the first time OpenAI has caused controversy.
OpenAI recently made headlines when Scarlett Johansson accused ChatGPT.4o of deliberately mimicking her voice with a chatbot called Sky.
In a statement to Variety, Johansson said: “When I heard the released demo, I was shocked, angered and in disbelief that Mr. Altman would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily similar to mine.”
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman denied that the voice was based on the Avengers actress.
He said: “The voice of Sky is not Scarlett Johansson’s, and it was never intended to resemble hers.
“Out of respect for Ms. Johansson, we have paused using Sky’s voice in our products”
What are the security fears over Apple Intelligence
Apple has announced that it will use OpenAI in its products.
Apple’s new intelligence system, AI will include new tools such as the ability to ask ChatGPT direct questions via their Apple devices and a smarter Siri voice assistant,
Apple Senior VP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi said: Apple AI “sends only the data that’s relevant to completing your task.
“Your data is never stored or made accessible to Apple”
However Musk disagrees, with the billionaire tech enthusiast taking to X with claims that consumer data and privacy would be breached.
He said: “Apple has no clue what’s actually going on once they hand your data over to OpenAI.”