Elon Musk is at it again, stirring the pot with Apple. His artificial intelligence startup, xAI, claims Apple favors OpenAI, putting other AI firms at a disadvantage in the App Store. Musk believes this is unfair and hints at legal action.
In a post, Musk asked Apple why their app, Grok, isn’t featured among the “Must Have” apps, even as X, another app, leads the charts. Right now, OpenAI’s ChatGPT tops the App Store in the U.S., with Grok sitting at fifth place. Apple has teamed up with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT to its devices, which makes Musk’s claims even more pointed.
Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, fired back at Musk, hinting that Musk manipulates X’s algorithm to benefit his own ventures. This isn’t the first time Musk has been embroiled in a controversy over OpenAI. He co-founded it in 2015 but departed in 2018 after a fallout with other executives. Since then, he has accused the company of deceit and has even sued them over their shift to a for-profit model.
This latest spat is part of a larger conversation about the power dynamics in the tech world. Many users on X have pointed out that other apps have also reached top spots in the App Store this year, including DeepSeek and Perplexity. This challenges Musk’s assertions about Apple favoring OpenAI.
Regulatory scrutiny is increasing around Apple. Earlier this year, the EU slapped Apple with a hefty €500 million fine for antitrust violations. The U.S. Department of Justice also filed a lawsuit against the company, accusing it of maintaining an illegal monopoly.
This drama reflects a growing concern about how major tech firms manage competition. As biases in app rankings and partnerships come to light, users and watchdogs alike are keenly observing the unfolding situation. The power tech giants hold can shape markets, and the ongoing debates will likely influence policies in the future.
For more on tech regulations and the strategies of companies like Apple, check out recent reports from sources like EU Commission.
