Elon Musk has launched a fresh legal challenge against Apple, accusing the company of “unequivocal antitrust violation” by allegedly favoring OpenAI in the App Store. The entrepreneur and head of xAI claims that Apple is making it “impossible” for any AI company other than OpenAI to reach the top rankings. This is a significant development in the ongoing rivalry between Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, especially after Apple recently announced a partnership to integrate ChatGPT into its new Apple Intelligence system.
In posts on his platform X, Musk specifically questioned why his company’s apps, X and the AI chatbot Grok, were not being featured in the App Store’s “Must Have” section despite their popularity. He suggested that Apple was “playing politics” and deliberately promoting its partner, OpenAI, over competitors. Musk threatened “immediate legal action” from xAI over the matter.
In response, Apple has issued a statement to Bloomberg, firmly denying Musk’s claims. The company stated that the App Store is “designed to be fair and free of bias.” According to Apple, app rankings and featured lists are determined by a combination of algorithmic recommendations and human curation by experts who use “objective criteria.” The company emphasized its goal is to provide “safe discovery for users and valuable opportunities for developers.”
This public dispute highlights the growing tensions in the AI industry and brings new scrutiny to Apple’s App Store policies, which are already under investigation by regulators in various countries. While Musk has made his intentions clear, it remains to be seen if he will formally file a lawsuit against the tech giant.
