In a dramatic turn of events following Apple’s 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Elon Musk has slammed the tech giant’s latest AI features and threatened to ban Apple devices from his companies if they integrate OpenAI.
Apple’s WWDC, held last Monday, was expected to make waves with the introduction of new artificial intelligence features. However, the event turned out to be a disappointment, leading to a 1.9% drop in Apple’s stock, its worst WWDC performance since 2010. The market’s discontent was fueled by the realization that Apple has not developed its own AI module but is instead relying on OpenAI’s ChatGPT, rebranded as “Apple Intelligence.” This feature is designed to be a persistent layer across the entire Apple operating system, which Elon Musk criticized as “neither Apple nor intelligent.”
Musk’s primary concern is that this integration creates an “always on” system that continuously feeds data to OpenAI, posing significant privacy risks. He expressed his outrage in a series of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, making it clear that he might have to launch his own phone if Apple proceeds with integrating what he termed as “woke nanny AI spyware” into their OS.
“If Apple actually integrates woke nanny AI spyware into their OS,” Musk posted, hinting at the possibility of developing an alternative phone. He directly challenged Tim Cook, saying, “Either stop this creepy spyware or all Apple devices will be banned from the premises of my companies.”
Further escalating his stance, Musk stated, “If Apple integrates OpenAI at the OS level, then Apple devices will be banned at my companies. That is an unacceptable security violation.” He added that visitors to his companies would have to check their Apple devices at the door, where they would be stored in a Faraday cage to prevent any data transmission.
Musk criticized Apple for relying on OpenAI instead of developing its own AI, questioning their capability to ensure user privacy. “Apple has no clue what’s actually going on once they hand your data over to OpenAI. They’re selling you down the river,” he asserted.
This conflict highlights the intensifying AI wars, where competing vendors strive to dominate the market. The concern is that integrating such technologies could lead to unprecedented levels of data surveillance, making the situation comparable to China’s “always on” nanny state.
