Musk Claims Apple Unfairly Backs OpenAI on iPhone

Elon Musk criticized Apple’s app store practices late on Monday, claiming that the iPhone manufacturer is favoring OpenAI.

The billionaire founder of xAI Holdings, which now includes the Grok artificial intelligence team and the X social network, stated that Apple creates obstacles for anyone other than OpenAI to top the App Store charts, a coveted global platform for app developers. In a pinned post on his X account, Musk questioned whether Apple is “playing politics” by sidelining his products.

These remarks signify the most significant dispute Musk has initiated since his clash with former US President Donald Trump in June, where both individuals exchanged derogatory comments on their respective social networks. Representatives from Apple and OpenAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Musk also mentioned that xAI would pursue legal action against what he perceives as an antitrust violation. Apple and OpenAI—whose ChatGPT is the most downloaded free iPhone app in the US, ranking ahead of Grok at No. 5—have formed a partnership focused on AI capabilities in the latest iPhones. Musk, 54, has a longstanding feud with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, stemming from disagreements that led to their split after co-founding OpenAI.

Altman, 40, countered Monday’s allegations of wrongdoing by shifting the focus to Musk’s management of the X network, implying he manipulates it for personal gain. “But OpenAI will just stay focused on making great products,” Altman concluded in his post on X.

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