Elon Musk Threatens to Boycott Apple Products Over OpenAI Partnership

Elon Musk Threatens to Boycott Apple Products Over OpenAI Partnership

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk stated on Monday that he will prohibit the use of Apple products across his companies if Apple integrates OpenAI into its operating system.

Musk, who owns Tesla and other ventures, announced that anyone visiting his companies would need to store their Apple devices in a Faraday cage, blocking electromagnetic transmissions.

This declaration follows Apple’s announcement of its partnership with OpenAI, including the integration of ChatGPT powered by GPT-4 into some of its software, such as the new and improved Siri.

“If Apple integrates OpenAI at the OS level, then Apple devices will be banned at my companies,” Musk wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “That is an unacceptable security violation,” added the SpaceX owner.

Earlier on Monday, at its Worldwide Developers’ Conference, Apple revealed plans to incorporate its new AI software, Apple Intelligence, into the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It also announced a collaboration with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into some applications, including the upgraded Siri.

According to Apple, the ChatGPT integration will be available for free without an account in iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia later this year. Apple stated, “When a user grants permission, Siri can tap into ChatGPT’s broad world knowledge and present an answer directly.”

Musk criticized the partnership, expressing concerns about Apple partnering with a third-party AI that it “doesn’t understand” and “can’t themselves create.” He tweeted, “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.”

In early March, Musk filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, a company he co-founded in 2015, and its CEO, Sam Altman, alleging that they had deviated from the original mission of developing AI for humanity’s benefit rather than for profit. B

Musk has also launched his own AI startup, xAI, aiming to rival OpenAI and create an alternative to the popular chatbot. Last month, The PUNCH reported that xAI secured $6 billion in a Series B funding round, backed by investors such as Valor Equity Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, and Sequoia Capital.