Dispute centers on App Store rankings of Grok chatbot
Elon Musk has accused Apple of engaging in antitrust violations by allegedly favoring OpenAI’s ChatGPT over competing AI apps, including his company’s Grok chatbot. Musk claims Apple’s App Store practices make it “impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1” in the rankings and vowed that his startup xAI will “take immediate legal action.”
In a series of posts on his social media platform X, Musk questioned why neither Grok nor X, his social media app, appeared in Apple’s “Must-Have Apps” section despite high rankings in the store’s charts. He also implied Apple’s decisions may be politically motivated. Apple declined to comment on the accusations.
Background on the rivalry
Apple partnered with OpenAI last year to integrate ChatGPT directly into its devices, a move Musk criticized as a “security violation” and threatened to ban from his companies. The dispute has been amplified by xAI’s release of Grok 4 last month, shortly before OpenAI unveiled GPT-5, its most advanced AI model.
According to App Store data confirmed by CNBC, ChatGPT currently holds the top spot among free apps in the U.S., and it is the only AI chatbot featured in Apple’s “Must-Have” section. Musk’s Grok ranks fifth but is not highlighted by Apple’s editorial selections.
Ongoing conflicts with OpenAI
Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 but left its board in 2018. He is now suing the company and CEO Sam Altman, alleging they abandoned OpenAI’s original mission to develop AI “for the benefit of humanity broadly.” Altman, in response to Musk’s latest threat, called the accusations “remarkable,” pointing to allegations that Musk manipulates his own platform, X, to favor his companies and disadvantage competitors.
The tensions come amid leadership changes at xAI. Last week, Robert Keele, head of the company’s legal department, announced his departure, citing both personal reasons and differences in worldview with Musk.
Apple’s history with antitrust scrutiny
Apple is no stranger to antitrust challenges. The U.S. Department of Justice sued the company last year over claims it operates a monopoly in the iPhone ecosystem. In June, a panel of judges upheld a ruling requiring Apple to stop charging commissions on certain in-app payment links and to loosen restrictions on how developers present those links.
While Musk’s legal threat adds a new front to Apple’s antitrust battles, it remains unclear whether xAI’s potential lawsuit will gain traction or simply add to the broader debate over App Store competition in the rapidly expanding AI market.
