Elon Musk takes issue with Apple integrating ChatGPT
(Written by a human — this article is not part of our ongoing AI-assisted content writing operations, which are currently in beta phase)
Following the news shared during the Worldwide Developers Conference 2024 (WWDC24) keynote that Apple is integrating ChatGPT-4o into experiences within iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, tech billionaire Elon Musk has voiced his opposition to the collaboration.
When Apple CEO Tim Cook introduced Apple Intelligence on Musk-owned X (formerly Twitter) the next day of WWDC24 keynote, the X owner replied writing something that made him appear to be opposing Apple’s on-device AI.
“Don’t want it,” Musk wrote in his reply. “Either stop this creepy spyware or all Apple devices will be banned from the premises of my companies.”
However, four minutes earlier, he had posted on his own X account, writing that he would ban Apple devices at his companies if it integrated OpenAI’s ChatGPT at the OS level.
Two minutes later, he replied to his own post, writing that even visitors to his companies would have to check their Apple devices at the doors, adding that Apple devices of visitors would be stored in Faraday cages at the entry.
First constructed by scientist Michael Faraday in 1836, Faraday cages are enclosures used to block some electromagnetic fields.
Musk appeared to have assumed that Apple had not made their own AI and were going to use ChatGPT instead when he posted eleven minutes after his reply to Cook, writing “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!”
He concluded his post, “Apple has no clue what’s actually going on once they hand your data over to OpenAI. They’re selling you down the river.”
Readers soon added context to the post by Musk via X’s Community Notes, a collaborative way to make the people better informed on the platform, clarifying there is Apple’s own AI.
The context does not address the concern Musk raised in the second paragraph of his post, as the context just stresses that users will be asked for permission before any questions, documents or photos are sent to ChatGPT, while what Musk pointed to was that Apple would have no idea what would actually be happening once the user’s data would be handed over to OpenAI.
Next, Musk shared a meme about how Apple Intelligence works.
Funny? Time for a little emotional roller coaster ride: here’s his next post:
In the next post, Musk shared the link to a clip from “South Park” season 15 episode 1, writing that people don’t read the terms and conditions document before agreeing to share their data.
Musk is clearly worried. However, Apple may have already addressed the concern Musk is raising.
As we also reported yesterday, users who access ChatGPT on their Apple devices will have their IP addresses obscured, and requests will not be stored by OpenAI.
Now, there is such a thing as a class action lawsuit that corporations fear. It would be fair to assume that OpenAI as well as Apple are no exceptions. Declaring a certain practice but doing the opposite is also grounds for a class action lawsuit.
Apple also clearly states that users who choose to connect their existing ChatGPT accounts will continue to agree to ChatGPT’s data-use policies.
Users who don’t want to use ChatGPT on their Apple devices for any reason can always deny the permission to share any questions, documents or photos and just not use OpenAI’s product. Apple, on the other hand, also needs to offer more clarity on whether the integrated ChatGPT could access (read: steal) data on the device even when it is not used.
Featured photo credit: Trevor Cokley. Public domain image (Source)
