Elon Musk has gone on a tirade against Apple and OpenAI on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter) over Apple’s announcement to integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT into its operating systems and devices.
Key points from Musk’s rant:
- He called it an “unacceptable security violation” and threatened to ban Apple products from Tesla, SpaceX, and his other companies if Apple integrated OpenAI at the OS level.
- Musk directly addressed Apple CEO Tim Cook, telling him to “stop this creepy spyware” or all Apple devices will be banned from his company.
- He accused Apple of not being smart enough to develop its own AI, yet claiming it can ensure OpenAI will protect user privacy and security.
- Musk said Apple has no idea what’s happening with user data once it’s handed over to OpenAI, alleging they are “selling you down the river”.
- He criticized Apple’s 30% App Store fees and implied he would “go to war” with Apple over it rather than pay.
However, Musk’s concerns seem misplaced, as Apple emphasized that ChatGPT integration is optional for users and no data is shared without permission. OpenAI also stated requests are not stored and IP addresses are obscured when using ChatGPT with Apple’s tools.
Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 but left the board in 2018. He has been critical of the company, recently filing a lawsuit alleging it strayed from its mission. Musk is working on his own AI projects like xAI to compete with OpenAI.
