I have found that most conservatives, especially older conservatives, don’t think tech news is all that riveting. And I understand. But tech is advancing whether conservatives like it or not, and we should probably talk about it. Besides, this week, software engineers embraced drama in a way most of us didn’t know they were capable of. So, at the very least, we’ll have an entertaining discussion that doesn’t involve advanced computer programming terminology. Tensions bubbled to the surface following Apple’s annual tech conference, WWDC24. Until now, Apple has resisted the gravitational pull of artificial intelligence (something I’ve been grateful for as an Apple user). But that’s all coming to an end. Apple announced that it’s partnering with OpenAI to inject “Apple Intelligence” into every element of its devices. That’s a mix-up if there ever was one in the tech industry. Microsoft (an Apple rival) initially invested billions in OpenAI and has had a long-standing partnership with the company. It’s not entirely clear what the announcement means for Microsoft. Is this a one-up? Or is it a sign that Microsoft and Apple could find a middle ground and collaborate? Either way, it’s a blow to Google, which has historically paid Apple billions of dollars as its default search engine. Google and Microsoft don’t seem particularly irate about the announcement. Elon Musk certainly was. In a string of tweets, Musk informed the world, “If Apple integrates OpenAI at the OS level, then Apple devices will be banned at my companies.” And that ban wouldn’t just apply to employees either. “Visitors will have to check their Apple devices at the door, where they will be stored in a Faraday cage,” he said. That might seem a little extreme (and perhaps petty), but Musk’s concern is data privacy. We know very little about what data companies like OpenAI have access to or how they use it. If Apple integrates ChatGPT into Apple products, that will likely give OpenAI access to significant personal information, including phone numbers, contacts, addresses, and even driver’s licenses or banking information. It’s not inconceivable that a model could leak this kind of information. Apple likes to market itself as being a champion of data privacy. It boasts that private information is stored locally on a device, meaning its own software engineers can’t get to your data. It’s not a perfect system, but it’s better than how Google and Bill Gates’ Microsoft tend to approach their customers’ data. But wait. Isn’t OpenAI closely associated with Microsoft? Yup. And it should come as no surprise that the company has faced criticism over data privacy (for example, it violates the EU’s much more stringent rules). Elon Musk’s accusations aren’t unfounded. The story doesn’t end with Musk’s petulant tweets threatening to boycott Apple products. On Tuesday, Musk withdrew a lawsuit leveled at OpenAI that was sitting in a San Francisco court on the day before that court was supposed to consider dismissing it anyway. The lawsuit alleged that OpenAI (which Musk helped found in 2015) had breached its founding contract, which requires it to pursue AI “for the good of humanity.” Musk claimed that the company was making decisions based on profit. It would have been entertaining to see a court wrestle with holding OpenAI accountable to vague statements like “the good of humanity.” ***** This is a debate over how artificial intelligence will impact our privacy. AI will be integrated into every tech system we use — our computers, phones, cars, etc. That’s inevitable. But what isn’t inevitable is that these tech companies will prioritize keeping our data (names, emails, phone numbers, contacts, locations, and search history) private. In a hyper-politicized and polarized world, that matters. This article is an excerpt from The American Spectator’s Spectator P.M. newsletter. Subscribe today to read future letters from our staff! The post Elon Musk and OpenAI Are at War. Your Data Is at Stake. appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.