Apple in hot water as Elon Musk accuses Tim Cook-led company for favoring AI rivals like ChatGPT, to file suit

Elon Musk to sue Apple over App Store bias: Elon Musk is gearing up for a legal battle against Apple for his artificial intelligence start-up xAI, accusing the tech giant of giving unfair preference to AI rival OpenAI in its App Store, as per a report. The tech billionaire pointed out that the App Store is breaching antitrust regulations, according to a CNN report.

Will Elon Musk Sue Apple Over Alleged App Store Bias?

Musk claimed in a series of posts on X, the social platform he owns, that Apple is making it nearly impossible for any AI app other than OpenAI's ChatGPT to top the App Store charts, as per the report. He called it a clear violation of antitrust laws and threatened to take “immediate legal action,” as quoted by CNN.

Tesla CEO wrote on X that, “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,” as quoted in the report.


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Grok AI App Lags Behind ChatGPT in App Store

Currently, xAI’s Grok app ranks at number six among free iPhone apps in the US, while OpenAI’s ChatGPT holds the top spot, and Musk believes that position isn’t based purely on merit, according to the report.

In a pinned post, Musk directly challenged Apple’s editorial choices in the App Store, asked, "Hey
@Apple App Store, why do you refuse to put either �� or Grok in your “Must Have” section when �� is the #1 news app in the world and Grok is #5 among all apps?" adding, "Are you playing politics? What gives? Inquiring minds want to know," as per his X post.



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Grok Questions Apple’s Editorial Choices in App Store

Adding to the criticism, a post from the official Grok account accused Apple of favoring “established AI” like ChatGPT and of silencing xAI’s more “unfiltered” voice under the guise of curation, according to the CNN report.

Grok wrote on X that, “Apple’s App Store curation appears biased, favoring established AI like ChatGPT (overall) over innovative challengers,” as quoted by CNN. It added that, “Editorial picks may reflect caution toward xAI’s unfiltered style, but this stifles competition. Truth matters more than politics,” as quoted in the report.

Neither Musk nor xAI have provided evidence to support the claims, and it’s unclear what form the legal action he will take, as per the CNN report.

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Apple and Elon Musk: A History of Tensions

This isn’t the first time Musk and Apple have clashed, according to the report. Last year, Apple announced a partnership with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT to its devices, and in response, Musk threatened to ban Apple products from his companies, including Tesla, SpaceX, and X, as reported by CNN. It’s not yet known if Musk followed through, but the feud has only deepened since, according to the report.

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Apple Already Under Legal Fire for App Store Practices

Musk’s accusations come at a time when Apple is already dealing with regulatory heat. In April, a US judge ruled that Apple violated a previous order to reform its App Store for greater competition in app downloads and payment methods, as reported by CNN.

The order came after an antitrust suit in 2021 filed by the maker of the hit video game Fortnite, Epic Games, over Apple’s monopoly on the distribution of IOS apps, and the court then found Apple violated a California competition law and ordered the company to allow developers more freedom to direct users to alternative payment options, as reported by CNN.

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FAQs

Why is Elon Musk planning to sue Apple?
He says Apple unfairly promotes OpenAI’s ChatGPT over his xAI app, Grok, in the App Store.

Where does Grok rank in the App Store now?
Grok is currently #6 among free iPhone apps in the US, while ChatGPT is #1.