‘Creepy spyware’: Elon Musk threatens to ban iPhones at his companies after Apple-OpenAI deal

Elon Musk has lashed out at a “creepy spyware” deal between OpenAI and Apple, threatening to ban iPhones at his companies.

Tesla and SpaceX tycoon Elon Musk lashed out on Monday at a partnership between OpenAI and Apple, saying the threat to data security will make him ban iPhones at his companies.

“If Apple integrates OpenAI at the OS level, then Apple devices will be banned at my companies,” Mr Musk wrote in a post on X, which he also owns.

“That is an unacceptable security violation. And visitors will have to check their Apple devices at the door, where they will be stored in a Faraday cage.”

Mr Musk earlier hit out at a post by Apple chief executive Tim Cook unveiling “Apple Intelligence”, its suite of new AI features for its coveted devices as it seeks to catch up to rivals racing ahead on adopting the white hot technology.

Don’t want it.

Either stop this creepy spyware or all Apple devices will be banned from the premises of my companies.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 10, 2024

“It’s personal, powerful, and private — and it’s integrated into the apps you rely on every day,” Mr Cook wrote. “Introducing Apple Intelligence — our next chapter in AI.”

Mr Musk replied, “Don’t want it. Either stop this creepy spyware or all Apple devices will be banned from the premises of my companies.”

The billionaire earlier made several posts slamming the announcement.

“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 and privacy!” 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.”

Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Picture: Frederic J. Brown/AFP

Mr Musk’s post, however, has since been flagged with a “Community Note” fact check on his own platform.

“Apple has its own AI model which is explicitly distinct from ChatGPT,” the user-submitted note reads. “Apple’s model will be used by default, and is usually the only option, but in some contexts users can elect to use ChatGPT.”

For months, pressure has been on Apple to persuade doubters on its AI strategy, after Microsoft and Google rolled out products in rapid-fire succession.

But this latest move will take the experience of Apple products “to new heights”, Mr Cook said as he opened an annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) at the tech giant’s headquarters in the Silicon Valley city of Cupertino, California.

To help towards that end, Apple has partnered with OpenAI, which ushered in a new era for generative artificial intelligence in 2022 with the arrival of ChatGPT.

OpenAI was “very happy to be partnering with Apple to integrate ChatGPT into their devices later this year … think you will really like it”, the company’s chief executive Sam Altman posted on social media.

Apple is rolling out new AI features. Picture: Scott Olson/Getty Images/AFP

Apple Intelligence will also be added to a new version of the iOS 18 operating system, similarly unveiled on Monday at the week-long conference.

Apple executives stressed privacy safeguards have been built into Apple Intelligence to make its Siri digital assistant and other products smarter, without pilfering user data.

The big challenge for Apple has been how to infuse ChatGPT-style AI — which voraciously feeds off data — into its products without weakening its heavily promoted user privacy and security, according to analysts.

The system “puts powerful generative models right at the core of your iPhone, iPad and Mac”, said Apple senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi.

“It draws on your personal context to give you intelligence that’s most helpful and relevant for you, and it protects your privacy at every step.”

Mr Musk is building his own rival to OpenAI, xAI, and is suing the company that he helped found in 2015.

Apple Intelligence, which runs only on the company’s in-house technology, will enable users to create their own emojis based on a description in everyday language, or to generate brief summaries of e-mails in the mailbox.

Apple said Siri, its voice assistant, will also get an AI-infused upgrade and now will appear as a pulsating light on the edge of your home screen.

Apple CEO Tim Cook. Picture: Nic Coury/AFP

Launched over 12 years ago, Siri has long since been seen as a dated feature, overtaken by the new generation of assistants, such as GPT-4o, OpenAI’s latest offering.

GPT-4o grabbed the headlines last month when actress Scarlett Johansson accused OpenAI of copying her voice to embody the assistant after she turned down an offer to work with the company.

OpenAI has denied this, but suspended the use of the new voice in its products.

In its deal with OpenAI, users can choose to enhance Siri on certain requests with ChatGPT, Mr Federighi said.

“It sounds like it’s Apple — then if it needs ChatGPT, it offers it to you,” Techsponential analyst Avi Greengart said.

“The implementation is what is special here.”

The partnership with OpenAI was not exclusive, unlike Apple’s landmark tie-up with Google for search, which has drawn the scrutiny of antitrust regulators in the US.

Apple said it expected to announce support for other AI models in the future. The company founded by Steve Jobs had remained very quiet on AI since the start of the ChatGPT-sparked frenzy, with Apple for a while avoiding the term altogether.

But the pressure became too great, with Wall Street propelling Microsoft past Apple as the world’s biggest company when measured by stock price, largely because of the Windows-maker’s unabashed embrace of AI.

Wall Street investors were not overly impressed by the AI announcements with Apple’s share price down nearly 2 per cent at close on Monday.

Originally published as ‘Creepy spyware’: Elon Musk threatens to ban iPhones at his companies after Apple-OpenAI deal