Elon Musk is threatening to ban iPhones from all his corporations over the newly introduced OpenAI integrations Apple introduced at WWDC 2024 on Monday. In a series of posts on X, the Tesla, SpaceX and xAI exec wrote that “if Apple integrates OpenAI on the OS degree,” Apple gadgets could be banned from his companies and guests must test their Apple gadgets on the door the place they’ll be “saved in a Faraday cage.”
His posts appear to misconceive the connection Apple introduced with OpenAI or at the very least try to depart room for doubt about person privateness. Whereas Apple and OpenAI each stated that customers are requested earlier than “any questions are despatched to ChatGPT,” together with any paperwork or photographs, Musk’s responses point out he believes OpenAI is deeply built-in into Apple’s working system itself and subsequently capable of hoover up any private and personal information.
In iOS 18, Apple stated folks will be capable of ask Siri questions, and if the assistant thinks ChatGPT will help, it’s going to ask permission to share the query and current the reply instantly. This permits customers to get a solution from ChatGPT with out having to open the ChatGPT iOS app. Images, PDFs or different paperwork you wish to ship to ChatGPT get the identical therapy.
Musk, nevertheless, would like that OpenAI’s capabilities stay certain to a devoted app — not a Siri integration.
Responding to VC and CTO Sam Pullara at Sutter Hill Ventures who wrote that the person is approving a selected request on a per-request foundation — OpenAI doesn’t have entry to the machine — Musk wrote, “Then go away it as an app. That is bullshit.”
Pullara had stated that the best way ChatGPT was built-in was basically the identical approach the ChatGPT app works right now. The on-device AI fashions are both Apple’s personal or these utilizing Apple’s Non-public Cloud.
In the meantime, replying to a put up on X from YouTuber Marques Brownlee that additional defined Apple Intelligence, Musk responded, “Apple utilizing the phrases ‘defend your privateness’ whereas handing your information over to a third-party AI that they don’t perceive and might’t themselves create is *not* defending privateness in any respect!”
He even replied to a put up by Apple CEO Tim Cook dinner, whereby he threatened to ban Apple gadgets from the premises of his corporations if he didn’t “cease this creepy spyware and adware.”
“It’s patently absurd that Apple isn’t sensible sufficient to make their very own AI, but is by some means able to making certain that OpenAI will defend your safety & privateness!” Musk exclaimed in one in all many posts concerning the new integrations. “Apple has no clue what’s really occurring as soon as they hand your information over to OpenAI. They’re promoting you down the river,” he stated. Whereas it’s true that Apple might not know the inside workings of OpenAI, it’s not technically Apple handing over the information — the person is making that alternative, from the sound of issues.
Apple additionally introduced one other integration that will enable customers to have entry to ChatGPT system-wide inside Writing Instruments by way of a “compose” characteristic. For example, you possibly can ask ChatGPT to put in writing a bedtime story to your baby in a doc, Apple instructed. You possibly can additionally ask ChatGPT to generate photos in quite a few kinds to enhance your writing. Via these options, customers will basically be accessing ChatGPT without cost with out the friction of getting to create an account. That’s nice information for OpenAI, which can quickly have a large inflow of requests from Apple customers.
Apple customers might not perceive the nuances of the privateness points right here, after all — which is what Musk is relying on by making these complaints. If customers might set their very own most popular AI bot because the go-to for Siri requests or writing assist, like Anthropic’s Claude or — say, xAI’s Grok — it’s uncertain that Musk could be yelling this loudly concerning the risks of such an integration. (In actual fact, Apple simply hinted that Google Gemini could possibly be built-in sooner or later, in a post-keynote session.)
In its announcement, Apple says that customers’ requests and knowledge aren’t logged, however ChatGPT subscribers can join their account after which entry their paid options instantly inside Apple’s AI experiences.
“In fact, you’re in management over when ChatGPT is used and can be requested earlier than any of your info is shared. ChatGPT integration can be coming to iOS 18 iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia later this 12 months,” stated Apple SVP of Software program Engineering Craig Federighi. The options will solely be out there on iPhone Professional 15 fashions and gadgets that use M1 or newer chips.
OpenAI reiterated one thing comparable in its blog post, noting that “requests aren’t saved by OpenAI, and customers’ IP addresses are obscured. Customers also can select to attach their ChatGPT account, which suggests their information preferences will apply below ChatGPT’s insurance policies.” The latter refers back to the optionally available (as in opt-in) capacity to attach the characteristic with their paid subscription.