Tesla's CEO said that "this practice violates safety standards and is unacceptable," and asserted that Apple could not ensure that OpenAI could keep user data safe.

Apple announced plans to integrate OpenAI's leading artificial intelligence model ChatGPT into its entire product line, a decision that could affect hundreds of millions of iPhone, Mac and iPad users. After the news came out, Elon Musk immediately issued a warning that his company would be banned from using Apple devices.

Musk's stance and attitude towards Apple's integration with OpenAI

"If Apple decides to integrate OpenAI into their operating systems, I will ban our company from using Apple devices," Musk said on Twitter on Monday after Apple announced its adoption of AI technology. "This is a violation of safety guidelines and is unacceptable."

The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and co-founder of Neuralink said the policy will be extended to other users as well.

He firmly stated: "Visitors are required to hand over their Apple devices to the doorman upon entry and place them in a Faraday cage."

Musk is not the first corporate leader to restrict the use of AI tools in the workplace. In fact, Apple itself has restricted employees from using ChatGPT, even though the tech giant is planning to incorporate the technology into its 13-year-old virtual assistant Siri to improve its functionality.

In another tweet, Musk questioned Apple's choice to work with OpenAI instead of developing its own generative AI models.

Musk tweeted: "It is patently false to think that Apple can ensure OpenAI maintains your security and privacy while being incapable of developing its own AI technology."

Musk was skeptical of Apple’s announcement of a partnership with ChatGPT, particularly the part about Siri asking for user consent before connecting to the AI ​​model and that the entire process would be encrypted to ensure privacy and security.

He believes that Apple does not fully understand what happens to user data once it is handed over to OpenAI, suggesting that he believes Apple may not provide adequate data protection or may not be transparent enough about how the data is used.

“Apple has no idea what happens to your data once it’s handed over to OpenAI,” he wrote on X. “They are selling you out.”

The explosive growth of ChatGPT has led to bans from multiple organizations. Last year, the U.S. House of Representatives banned employees from using ChatGPT, citing privacy concerns. Meanwhile, Samsung also banned the use of ChatGPT on company systems.

Musk disagrees with OpenAI's mission and development

Musk has previously been open to other large tech companies like Microsoft, Meta, and Google incorporating AI into their hardware and software, even as Google has launched a smartphone with deeply integrated AI. However, his antipathy toward ChatGPT, and his broader concerns about AI, appear to have more to do with his long-standing disagreement with OpenAI.

Musk is not only one of the co-founders of OpenAI, but he also has his own views and expectations for the organization's mission and direction. Over time, his philosophical differences and inconsistent goals with OpenAI may have led to his distrust and public criticism of OpenAI and its products.

The billionaire has spoken out several times against OpenAI, the company he co-founded in 2015 with Sam Altman, Ilya Sutskever, Greg Brockman, Andrej Karpathy, and others. In fact, Musk took credit for the creation of OpenAI last May and said that OpenAI wouldn’t exist without him.

In his conversation with CNBC, Musk emphasized his key role in the early days of OpenAI, especially in recruiting top talent. He mentioned the joining of Ilya Sutskever as an important factor in OpenAI's success. As a famous scientist, Sutskever has a significant influence on OpenAI's research direction and results. Musk's remarks reflect his contribution to the early development of OpenAI and the importance he attached to team building.

In March of this year, Musk made clear his motivation in the lawsuit, which was that he wanted to use legal means to ensure that OpenAI abides by its original agreement and purpose.

He emphasized that OpenAI should be committed to developing general artificial intelligence (AGI) centered on human interests, rather than just for the interests of certain individuals or large technology companies. This reflects Musk's deep concern about the direction of artificial intelligence development and ethical responsibilities, as well as his vision of ensuring that artificial intelligence technology can benefit all mankind.

Meanwhile, in response to Musk’s lawsuit, OpenAI released internal emails suggesting that Musk was also motivated by profit.

"In order for our budget to not appear dwarfed by the spending of companies like Google or Facebook, we need to set a goal well in excess of $100 million," Musk allegedly said in a written statement. "I propose that we announce a launch commitment of $1 billion. This is indeed my intention, and I am willing to personally cover any unmet funding."

Conclusion:

Elon Musk's strong reaction to Apple's plan to integrate OpenAI's ChatGPT model, and his continued focus on OpenAI's mission, reveal his deep concerns about safety and ethical responsibility in the field of artificial intelligence. As a co-founder of OpenAI, Musk has clear expectations for the company's direction and original intentions, and he has ensured that these expectations are heeded through legal actions and public statements.

Despite his disagreements with OpenAI and questions about his motives, Musk remains committed to his belief that artificial intelligence should serve the interests of humanity. As artificial intelligence technology continues to advance and become more popular, Musk's concerns and actions remind us that we must continue to pay attention to and discuss the ethical and safety implications of these powerful tools to ensure that the development of technology is consistent with the long-term interests of humanity.