Musk sues Apple and OpenAI, accusing the agreement of stifling AI competition.
X and xAI's lawsuit seeks billions, claiming that the integration of ChatGPT into the iPhone creates an unfair advantage; Apple says the App Store is "fair and unbiased."
247 - Elon Musk filed a lawsuit on Monday (25) against Apple and OpenAI, accusing the two companies of having entered into an arrangement that distorts competition in the artificial intelligence sector. The complaint was revealed by Bloomberg, which detailed the action filed in the federal court of Fort Worth, Texas, on behalf of X Corp. and xAI, companies linked to Musk. The billionaire is seeking billions in damages and measures to suspend the partnership between Apple and OpenAI.
According to the report, Musk's lawyers claim that the agreement "made ChatGPT the only generative AI chatbot integrated into the iPhone" and that Apple and OpenAI "closed markets to maintain their monopolies and prevent innovators like X and xAI from competing." In response, OpenAI called the initiative persecution: "This new petition is consistent with Mr. Musk's ongoing pattern of harassment." Apple, for its part, stated that the App Store "was created to be fair and unbiased," denying any favoritism.
A clash of giants
The dispute pits the world's richest man against one of the world's most valuable companies. Musk is engaged in litigation that reignites his historic feud with Sam Altman, now CEO of OpenAI, with whom he founded the organization in 2015 before a split marked by strategic differences. The lawsuit further increases regulatory pressure on Apple, which is already facing lawsuits from the U.S. Department of Justice accusing it of monopolizing the smartphone market by restricting rivals' access to iPhone features.
Contested exclusivity
At the heart of the complaint is Apple's decision to integrate ChatGPT into Apple Intelligence, the suite of AI features on the iPhone. Musk alleges that the move stifles innovation in "super apps"—multifunctional platforms like Apple X, which could replace native smartphone functions. However, Apple executives have already stated in testimony that the partnership with OpenAI is not exclusive and that the company may incorporate other AI models, such as those developed by Perplexity or Anthropic, including in services like Safari.
Each side's narrative
Apple emphasizes that its app distribution system relies on objective criteria, promoting "thousands of apps through rankings, algorithmic recommendations, and curated lists." OpenAI, in turn, insists that there is no collusion and that its presence on the iPhone is a direct response to users' interest in artificial intelligence tools.
