Elon Musk threatens to ban Apple devices at his companies over tech giant’s deal with OpenAI

Despite Apple saying that users' data would be protected, the billionaire argued that the move could pose "an unacceptable security threat." He went on to say that Apple had "no idea" what OpenAI would do with that data once it was handed over.

"If Apple integrates OpenAI at the OS level, then Apple devices will be banned at my companies," Musk wrote in a post on X. "That is an unacceptable security violation." He added that "visitors will have to check their Apple devices at the door, where they will be stored in a Faraday cage."

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

Users later pointed out that while Apple has developed a model that runs locally on its devices and has around three billion parameters, partnership with OpenAI was needed to handle tasks that require more computing power.

According to the BBC, Apple said at its Worldwide Developer Conference on Monday that whereas data submitted via ChatGPT on OpenAI's platform is stored in OpenAI's servers, users of iPhones, iPads, and Macs won’t have their data logged.

ChatGPT-4o will be integrated with Siri, with other apps. In Notes, for example, users can get the answers to math problems written out by hand, and in Mail, the technology can help craft messages.

"It draws on your personal context to give you intelligence that's most helpful to and relevant for you, and it protects your privacy at every step," Apple senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi said, per the BBC.

Musk cofounded OpenAI with Sam Altman in 2015 and left in 2018. In the years since, the two have clashed over the direction the company should take.