Elon Musk rants about Apple-OpenAI partnership in series of viral tweets: 'Unacceptable security violation'

In a series of posts, Elon Musk declared that he would ban Apple devices at his companies if the integration goes ahead.

Amidst the numerous announcements at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024, the partnership between Apple and OpenAI has sparked significant controversy, particularly drawing criticism from tech magnate Elon Musk.

Taking to his platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Musk expressed strong disapproval of Apple's integration of OpenAI's ChatGPT into its operating systems. In a series of posts, Musk declared that he would ban Apple devices at his companies if the integration goes ahead, calling it "an unacceptable security violation." He also mentioned that visitors to his companies—such as SpaceX, Tesla, Neuralink, The Boring Company, and xAI—would need to check their Apple devices at the door, where they would be stored in a Faraday cage to prevent any data transmission.

If Apple integrates OpenAI at the OS level, then Apple devices will be banned at my companies. That is an unacceptable security violation.

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— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 10, 2024

And visitors will have to check their Apple devices at the door, where they will be stored in a Faraday cage

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 10, 2024

Musk's tweets further condemned the partnership, questioning Apple's privacy and safety measures. He wrote, "Apple has no clue what’s actually going on once they hand your data over to OpenAI. They’re selling you down the river."

It’s patently absurd that Apple isn’t smart enough to make their own AI, yet is somehow capable of ensuring that OpenAI will protect your security & privacy!

Apple has no clue what’s actually going on once they hand your data over to OpenAI. They’re selling you down the river.

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— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 10, 2024

He also directly addressed Apple CEO Tim Cook in a reply, stating, "Either stop this creepy spyware or all Apple devices will be banned from the premises of my companies."

It’s personal, powerful, and private—and it’s integrated into the apps you rely on every day.

Introducing Apple Intelligence—our next chapter in AI. https://t.co/uOfIrcTYm7

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) June 10, 2024

The billionaire even shared an Indian meme, which was the poster of a film called "Thappattam" to take a jibe at Apple over its partnership with OpenAI. The meme in question humourously illustrated "How intelligence works" with an image of a man and a woman sharing coconut water, accompanied by text discussing Apple's integration of OpenAI and the associated risks of privacy breaches.

pic.twitter.com/7OgZAAdPf6

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 10, 2024

Apple's partnership with OpenAI includes integrating ChatGPT into Siri and other applications such as Messages, Mail, and Compose, allowing users to access AI features without opening a separate app. Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, emphasized during the event that user privacy would be maintained, with no information shared without explicit permission. OpenAI also stressed that privacy protections are built-in, with requests not stored and IP addresses obscured.

Exactly! https://t.co/3tRVXFbQWG

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 10, 2024

Despite these assurances, Musk remains unconvinced, likely influenced by his own ventures into AI with his chatbot Grok and the AI startup xAI, which recently raised $6 billion in funding. His past conflicts with OpenAI, including a lawsuit filed in March, add context to his current stance.

ALSO READ: Producer thanks Elon Musk for making his film 'Thappattam's' poster 'world-famous' after sharing it as meme