Billionaire Elon Musk has warned that he will ban Apple devices from his companies if the tech giant integrates OpenAI’s ChatGPT into its operating systems. Musk called this an “unacceptable security violation” and even suggested that visitors to Tesla, SpaceX, and other companies he runs would need to have their Apple devices stored in a Faraday cage upon entry.
Apple’s “Apple Intelligence” Announcement
During Apple’s 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference, the company revealed a new suite of generative AI features called “Apple Intelligence.” This will be integrated into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia later in 2024. One of the features will allow Apple’s voice assistant, Siri, to relay user questions to ChatGPT when necessary.
Musk’s Concerns over Privacy and Security
Musk expressed concerns over Apple’s decision to outsource its AI capabilities to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. He called it “patently absurd” that Apple “isn’t smart enough” to create its own AI and suggested that the company would be doing a disservice to its customers by handing over their data to a third-party AI that Apple doesn’t fully understand or control.
“Apple using the words ‘protect your privacy’ while handing your data over to a third-party AI that they don’t understand and can’t themselves create is not protecting privacy at all,” Musk said in an X post.
Impact on Crypto-AI Tokens
The Apple Intelligence news did not inspire a price rally for AI-linked cryptocurrencies. Render (RNDR), Fetch.ai (FET), and SingularityNET (AGIX) all experienced declines of 5.9%, 3.3%, and 3.9% respectively over the last 24 hours, according to CoinGecko.
In conclusion, Elon Musk’s threat to ban Apple devices from his companies if the tech giant integrates OpenAI’s ChatGPT into its operating systems has sparked a debate around privacy, security, and the role of AI in the tech industry. This decision could have far-reaching implications for both the cryptocurrency and AI sectors.
