Elon Musk accuses Apple of favouring OpenAI

Elon Musk claims Apple gives rival OpenAI an unfair advantage on the iPhone over any other AI company. He picked his X platform to express his opinion, stating Apple makes it impossible for any AI company other than OpenAI to reach the top of the App Store charts. Musk has also announced that his company, xAI, would take legal action against Apple for what he called an “unequivocal antitrust violation”.

Apple is behaving in a manner that makes it impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1 in the App Store, which is an unequivocal antitrust violation.

xAI will take immediate legal action.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 12, 2025

Musk’s accusation centres on Apple’s recent partnership with OpenAI. This collaboration integrates ChatGPT into iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. It allows Apple’s virtual assistant, Siri, to use ChatGPT’s capabilities and gives users access to AI-powered writing tools. He argues this collaboration creates an uneven playing field, making it difficult for competing AI apps to gain visibility and users.

The ongoing feud between Musk and OpenAI

Musk’s comment does not seem like an act of solitude; it’s an added development in his long-standing rivalry with OpenAI and its CEO. Musk was a co-founder of OpenAI in 2015 but left the board in 2018. He later sued the company, claiming it had abandoned its original non-profit mission to develop AI for the benefit of humanity. He has since launched his own AI company, XAI, and its chatbot named Grok.

Furthermore, the rankings of Grok and ChatGPT add to the ongoing tension. While Grok has climbed to around fifth place among free apps in the US, ChatGPT has remained at the top for a long time. Musk has also pointed out that Apple has repeatedly featured ChatGPT in its App Store editorial content, including its “Must-Have Apps” section.

Apple's App Store practices have faced legal and regulatory scrutiny from different sources, including the US Department of Justice and the European Union in past. These bodies have raised concerns about the company's control over its ecosystem and its policies that may stifle competition.

Until now, neither Apple nor OpenAI has publicly responded to Musk's latest claims. And, if the lawsuit is filed, it will put Apple's partnership with OpenAI under even more intense legal examination.