Elon Musk is so opposed to Apple’s plan to integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT with device operating systems that he’s seemingly spreading misconceptions while heavily criticizing the partnership.
On X (formerly Twitter), Musk has been criticizing alleged privacy and security risks since the plan was announced Monday at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference.
“If Apple integrates OpenAI at the OS level, then Apple devices will be banned at my companies,” Musk posted on X. “That is an unacceptable security violation.” In another post responding to Apple CEO Tim Cook, Musk wrote, “Don’t want it. Either stop this creepy spyware or all Apple devices will be banned from the premises of my companies.”
Musk also posted a meme suggesting that Apple planned to share user data with OpenAI. Another post of his temporarily received a fact-checking community note after suggesting that Apple hastily and cluelessly formed the partnership without regard for user privacy and security.
“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 & privacy!” Musk wrote. “Apple has no clue what’s actually going on once they hand your data over to OpenAI. They’re selling you down the river.”
The community note, which has since been removed, added some context, contradicting Musk by clarifying that Apple has developed its own AI models and will only use ChatGPT when users “elect to.” But while that note has now disappeared (although it lives on in screenshots), X users have continued criticizing Musk’s posts as misleading or otherwise sought to clarify how the ChatGPT integration works.
Essentially, Musk alleged that OpenAI will have device-level access to Apple user data that users may not be able to opt out of, and the ChatGPT integration will behave like spyware by allowing OpenAI to collect and share data with third parties without user consent.
However, Musk’s characterization of the partnership does not match what Apple shared at the conference. A chief technology officer at a private equity firm, Sam Pullara, posted on X that “data for a specific request is only sent to OpenAI” when the user “approves it on a per request basis,” with Apple providing “no access to the device.”
“That is no different than using the ChatGPT app today,” Pullara wrote.
Pullara’s clarification did not seem to impress Musk much.
“Then leave it as an app,” Musk replied. “This is bullshit.”
According to joint statements from OpenAI and Apple, the integration of ChatGPT allows “users to access ChatGPT’s capabilities—including image and document understanding—without needing to jump between tools.” This apparently works through API requests that Apple and OpenAI said “are not stored by OpenAI.” The integration is also solely available through opting in, meaning users can choose to use ChatGPT if they want to. Even asking Siri a question will prompt a disclosure to the user “before any questions are sent to ChatGPT,” the companies said.