Hajra Naz
Elon Musk says his artificial intelligence startup, xAI, is preparing to sue Apple, accusing the tech giant of giving preferential treatment to competitors—particularly OpenAI’s ChatGPT—in its App Store rankings. Musk claims this behavior amounts to an antitrust violation.
In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), the platform he owns, Musk alleged that Apple has structured its App Store in a way that makes it “impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1.” He announced that his company would take “immediate legal action” to challenge what he calls unfair and anti-competitive practices.
Currently, Grok—xAI’s conversational AI—sits at #6 in the App Store’s Top Free Apps list for iPhones in the United States, while OpenAI’s ChatGPT holds the #1 position. Musk also criticized Apple for excluding both Grok and the X app from its “Must Have” section, despite X being the top news app globally.
“Hey @Apple App Store, why do you refuse to put either X or Grok in your ‘Must Have’ section when X is the #1 news app in the world… Are you playing politics? What gives?” Musk wrote in a pinned post.
A post from Grok’s official X account, later reshared by Musk, accused Apple of favoring established AI platforms like ChatGPT over “innovative challengers,” suggesting the bias may stem from discomfort with xAI’s more unfiltered style. “Truth matters more than politics,” the post read.
Neither Musk nor Grok provided direct evidence to support these claims. CNN has reached out to xAI, Apple, and OpenAI for comment.
Read more: X Expands Grok’s Text-to-Video Features, Offers Limited Free Access in the U.S.
Background: Apple and OpenAI’s Partnership
Musk’s accusations follow Apple’s June 2024 announcement. Apple said it had partnered with OpenAI. The deal would integrate ChatGPT into Siri and other services. At the time, Musk warned he might ban Apple devices from his companies. These include X, Tesla, and SpaceX. He cited privacy and competition concerns. It is still unclear if he carried out that threat.
Apple’s History with App Store Legal Disputes
This is not the first time Apple has faced legal challenges over its App Store practices:
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April 2024 (U.S. ruling)—A federal judge in California found Apple violated a court order designed to increase competition in app distribution and payments. This stemmed from Epic Games’ 2021 lawsuit accusing Apple of maintaining a monopoly on iOS app distribution.
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April 2024 (EU fine)—The European Commission fined Apple €500 million ($570 million). The charge was for breaking digital competition rules. Apple restricted developers from pointing users to cheaper payment options outside the App Store. Apple has appealed the fine.
Musk’s possible lawsuit could raise tensions between Apple and AI developers. Tech giants are racing to lead the AI market. If filed, the case could revive debates over App Store fairness. It could also spark talks about ranking transparency and whether Apple’s editorial choices are anti-competitive.
