Elon Musk has criticized Apple, alleging that the tech giant engages in anti-competitive practices by favoring OpenAI’s app on the iPhone App Store, which has affected the ranking of his own AI platform, Grok. Musk has announced plans to file an antitrust lawsuit against Apple over Grok’s positioning on the App Store.
According to a Bloomberg report, Musk, the founder of Xai Holdings—which includes the Grok AI team and social media platform X—ignited controversy by claiming Apple unfairly supports OpenAI in its App Store policies. On his X account, Musk raised questions about whether Apple is “playing politics” by not giving his company’s products adequate visibility in the competitive environment of the App Store.
These comments mark a significant dispute for Musk, reminiscent of the public back-and-forth he had with former President Donald Trump in June. Representatives from Apple and OpenAI have not yet responded to Musk’s claims.
Furthering his stance, Musk indicated that Xai plans to pursue legal action against what he perceives to be antitrust violations by Apple. Presently, OpenAI’s ChatGPT is the most downloaded free iPhone app in the US, while Grok sits in fifth place. Apple and OpenAI have formed partnerships to incorporate AI features into new iPhone models.
Critics of Musk argue that ChatGPT has approximately 11 times more reviews compared to Grok, which contributes to its higher ranking on the App Store.
The tension between Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stems from disagreements that arose after their collaboration in founding OpenAI. Musk has expressed concerns regarding the control that certain companies have over the AI market, and both of them are currently embroiled in legal issues as OpenAI transitions to a for-profit model.
Musk’s allegations against Apple have reignited discussions about the influence and oversight of major tech firms in the app ecosystem. Many developers express frustration with the competitive challenges they face, especially in scenarios where platform owners like Apple have significant control over app visibility. Recently, Epic Games has also taken legal action against Apple over App Store-related antitrust issues.
