Elon Musk Condemns Apple’s OpenAI Agreement; Are His Concerns Valid?

By Madz Dizon

Jun 13, 2024 05:05 AM EDT

 

Elon Musk Condemns Apple’s OpenAI Agreement; Are His Concerns Valid?
SpaceX, Twitter and electric car maker Tesla CEO Elon Musk looks on as he speaks during his visit at the Vivatech technology startups and innovation fair at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, on June 16, 2023.
(Photo : ALAIN JOCARD/AFP via Getty Images)

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk expressed concerns about the potential security risks associated with a new partnership between Apple and Microsoft-backed startup OpenAI, raising the possibility of prohibiting the use of Apple devices within his companies. 

Considering his argument, the question arises: "Are Elon Musk's concerns baseless or valid?" 

Elon Musk Voices Security Concerns Over Apple's Partnership with OpenAI

Elon Musk, who expressed concerns about the security of Apple devices, recently shared on X that he no longer holds a favorable opinion of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac computers. 

According to the Los Angeles Times, his apprehension stems from Apple's collaboration with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, and its potential impact on user data protection.

Others disagreed with Musk's claim that Apple's OpenAI deal could potentially compromise security, stating that there is not enough evidence to support this.

Musk has previously criticized Apple, referring to it as a "Tesla graveyard."

He claimed that Apple had recruited individuals who had been let go by Tesla. "If you don't succeed at Tesla, you end up working at Apple," Musk stated in an interview with German newspaper Handelsblatt in 2015.

However, Rayid Ghani, a professor specializing in machine learning and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University, believes that Musk's concerns regarding the OpenAI-Apple partnership should be considered.

According to Ghani, it may not be wise to accept Apple's statement that OpenAI is not storing Siri requests without further investigation. 

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Elon Musk's Lawsuit Against OpenAI

Musk, who has positioned himself as a champion for users and humanity, also chose not to address his ongoing legal dispute with OpenAI, as outlined in his February lawsuit, CNET via MSN reported. 

In the lawsuit, it was alleged that the San Francisco-based startup, under the leadership of CEO Sam Altman, deviated from its original purpose of developing AI for the betterment of humanity and instead prioritized pursuing financial gains.

In a lengthy blog post on its site on March 5, OpenAI responded to Musk's narrative, suggesting that the billionaire investor's anger stemmed from his failed attempt to take over OpenAI in 2018. 

It mentioned Musk's request to assume the CEO role and become the majority shareholder to transform it into a "for-profit entity."

OpenAI's post also mentioned some of Musk's emails that indicated his awareness of the need for OpenAI to transition into a for-profit company to secure funding for its ambitions of developing an artificial general intelligence (AGI) that can rival or exceed human intelligence.

READ MORE: Former OpenAI Researcher Publishes 165-Page AI Essay, Expects Human-Level AI by 2027

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