Musk threatens to ban iPhones at his companies over ChatGPT integration

San Francisco, June 11
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Tuesday threatened to ban iPhones from all his companies over the integration of ChatGPT into iPhones and other Apple devices.

Apple on Monday announced that in iOS 18, users will be able to ask Siri questions and OpenAI’s ChatGPT will answer.

“If Apple integrates OpenAI at the OS level, then Apple devices will be banned at my companies. That is an unacceptable security violation,” Musk posted on X.

The tech billionaire further said that visitors at his companies “will have to check their Apple devices at the door, where they will be stored in a Faraday cage”.

X users responded, saying it is time for an ‘X smartphone”.

However, both Apple and OpenAI have clarified that users’ permission will be taken before “any questions are sent to ChatGPT,” along with any documents or photos.

Responding to a user who said that OpenAI does not have access to iPhones, Musk wrote: “Then leave it as an app. This is bullshit.”

Replying to another post on X from YouTuber Marques Brownlee, the tech billionaire responded that “Apple using the words ‘protect your privacy’ while handing your data over to a third-party AI that they don’t understand and can’t themselves create is not protecting privacy at all!”

At its ‘WWDC 2024’ event, Apple announced that it is integrating ChatGPT access into experiences within iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, allowing users to access its expertise, without needing to jump between tools.

Siri can tap into ChatGPT’s expertise when helpful. Users are asked before any questions are sent to ChatGPT, along with any documents or photos, and Siri then presents the answer directly.

“Additionally, ChatGPT will be available in Apple’s system-wide Writing Tools, which help users generate content for anything they are writing about,” said the company.