The ongoing power struggle in the artificial intelligence arena has spilled into Apple’s tightly controlled App Store ecosystem, with xAI CEO Elon Musk publicly accusing the tech giant of unfairly favoring his biggest rival, OpenAI.
On Monday, Musk claimed that Apple’s current ranking system is skewed in a way that ensures no AI application, except OpenAI’s ChatGPT, can secure the coveted number one spot on the App Store. He framed this as an “unequivocal antitrust violation” and warned that his company, xAI, is preparing to take immediate legal action.
“Apple is behaving in a manner that makes it impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1 in the App Store, which is an unequivocal antitrust violation. xAI will take immediate legal action,” Musk declared in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
He didn’t stop there. “Unfortunately, what choice do we have? Apple didn’t just put their thumb on the scale, they put their whole body!” he added, amplifying his frustration.
Musk also responded positively to a user’s claim that Apple’s alleged bias is tied to its reliance on ChatGPT for certain features in iOS. This integration, first revealed at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) last year, allows Siri to hand off complex questions to ChatGPT. The AI chatbot also powers Apple’s writing assistance tools and its visual intelligence capabilities.
Musk and OpenAI: From Ally to Adversary
Musk’s relationship with OpenAI has been turbulent. He was one of the organization’s co-founders more than a decade ago, helping to establish it with the goal of developing artificial general intelligence (AGI) “for the benefit of humanity.” However, Musk now contends that OpenAI has strayed from that mission, transforming into a profit-driven enterprise.
Over the past year, his criticism has escalated. Musk has already filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its largest backer, Microsoft, accusing them of breaching the original founding principles. His rhetoric has also intensified since the launch of OpenAI’s latest flagship model, GPT-5.
Just last week, Musk issued a sharp warning to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, claiming that OpenAI would “eat Microsoft alive.”
Grok’s Push into the AI Market
As part of his counter-offensive in the AI market, Musk has been aggressively promoting his own chatbot, Grok, under the xAI banner. In a bid to capture user attention, he recently made Grok’s “Imagine” feature—which generates AI-powered photos and videos—free for all users. The new Grok 4 models have also been rolled out, promising enhanced conversational capabilities and creative tools.
By challenging Apple’s alleged favoritism and intensifying his marketing push for Grok, Musk is positioning xAI as a direct competitor to OpenAI in both technology and visibility. The potential lawsuit against Apple could mark a new front in his fight—not just against OpenAI, but against what he views as structural advantages given to his rival by one of the world’s most powerful tech companies.
If Musk proceeds with legal action, the case could spark broader debates about competition, platform neutrality, and the growing influence of AI integrations within major consumer ecosystems.