Elon Musk has escalated his conflict with OpenAI by targeting Apple, alleging that the tech giant is giving preferential treatment to ChatGPT in the App Store and pledging to pursue legal action.
In a recent post on his social network X, Musk accused Apple of engaging in practices that hinder any AI company, apart from OpenAI, from achieving the top position in the App Store. He characterized this behavior as a clear violation of antitrust laws, although he did not offer any supporting evidence for his assertion.
He stated that xAI would pursue immediate legal action, highlighting his affiliation with the artificial intelligence company.
Users have noted that DeepSeek AI, originating from China, achieved the top position in the App Store earlier this year. At the same time, Perplexity AI recently secured the number one spot in the App Store in India.
DeepSeek and Perplexity are emerging competitors in the landscape dominated by OpenAI and Elon Musk’s startup, xAI.
In the past week, OpenAI and xAI unveiled updated iterations of their AI assistants, ChatGPT and Grok, respectively.
On Tuesday, the App Store rankings revealed that ChatGPT secured the position of the top free iPhone app, while Grok was noted in fifth place.
Apple has yet to respond to the request for comment.
Several key factors, including user engagement, reviews, and download numbers influence the App Store rankings.
In June of the previous year, OpenAI and Apple revealed a partnership aimed at integrating ChatGPT functionalities into iPhones and various other devices.
OpenAI announced in a recent briefing that ChatGPT-5 has been made available for free to the nearly 700 million weekly users of the platform.
In a fierce competition, major players in the tech industry, including Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and xAI, have invested billions into artificial intelligence following the groundbreaking release of the initial version of ChatGPT in late 2022.
DeepSeek, a Chinese startup, made waves in the AI industry earlier this year by introducing a model that achieves impressive performance while utilizing more affordable chips.
In April, OpenAI initiated counterclaims against billionaire Elon Musk, alleging that the former co-founder has been conducting a “relentless campaign” aimed at undermining the organization following its success in his absence.
Legal documents submitted in a Northern California federal court reveal that OpenAI accused Elon Musk of adopting a hostile stance toward the company following his departure years before its significant advancements with ChatGPT.
The latest lawsuit marks yet another chapter in the ongoing conflict between the generative AI startup and the world’s wealthiest individual, who previously filed a suit against OpenAI, alleging that the company had strayed from its original mission.
The company, in its countersuit, accused Musk of orchestrating a campaign to dismantle OpenAI while simultaneously developing a rival entity aimed at gaining a technological advantage—not for the benefit of humanity, but for his interests.
In 2023, Musk established his own generative AI startup, xAI, aiming to rival OpenAI and other significant competitors in the artificial intelligence landscape.
