Elon Musk Threatens Lawsuit Against Apple Over Antitrust AI App Favoritism

Elon Musk has accused Apple of antitrust violations for allegedly favoring OpenAI's ChatGPT in its App Store rankings while excluding Musk's AI company xAI and its Grok chatbot from prominent placement. Musk claims Apple’s App Store makes it impossible for any AI app other than OpenAI's to reach the top spot or appear in the 'Must Have' section, despite Grok ranking within the top five free apps. This accusation comes amid Apple’s 2024 partnership with OpenAI, which integrates ChatGPT into iPhones, iPads, and Macs, boosting its visibility. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responded by accusing Musk of manipulating the X platform to benefit his own companies and suggested that legal discovery could reveal more about Musk’s practices. Apple has not commented on the lawsuit threat, but the dispute highlights broader tensions over platform neutrality, AI integration, and control over mobile app ecosystems. This conflict underscores a personal rivalry between Musk and Altman and ongoing scrutiny of Apple’s App Store practices amid other antitrust investigations.