Musk warns that he will ban Apple devices if OpenAI is integrated at the operating system level

Billionaire Elon Musk announced on Monday that he will ban Apple (AAPL.O) and will open devices with new cards in his companies if the iPhone maker integrates OpenAI at the operating system level.

“This is an unacceptable security breach,” Musk, CEO of electric vehicle maker Tesla (TSLA.O), is turning over a new leaf and rocket maker SpaceX and owner of social media company X, said in a post on X.

“Visitors will need to check their Apple devices at the door, where they will be stored in a Faraday cage,” he said.

Apple and OpenAI did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

Earlier in the day, Apple announced a range of AI features across its apps and operating platforms and a partnership with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT to its devices.

Apple said it has built privacy-first AI and will use a combination of on-device and cloud computing to power these features.

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“It’s patently absurd that Apple isn’t smart enough to create its own AI, yet is somehow able to ensure that OpenAI will protect your security and privacy!” Musk said in X.

It’s unlikely anyone will follow Musk’s lead, said Ben Bajarin, CEO of consulting firm Creative Strategies, adding that Apple is trying to educate people that a private cloud is as secure as storing data on a device.

“What (Apple) is now trying to add to this narrative is that when (data) leaves and goes into a secure private cloud, it similarly transfers the same anonymization of user data and firewall of that information. Apple never really sees it.” he said.

Musk sued OpenAI, which he co-founded in 2015, and its CEO Sam Altman in early March, claiming they had abandoned the startup’s original mission of developing artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity, not for profit.

He also founded his own startup, xAI, looking to challenge OpenAI and build an alternative to the viral ChatGPT chatbot.

xAI was valued at $24 billion in its latest funding round, during which it raised $6 billion in Series B financing.