Elon Musk’s xAI vs Apple: 6 things to know about the legal case and how ChatGPT is involved
Elon Musk has taken his war of words with Apple to court. His AI company, xAI, has filed a lawsuit accusing Apple and OpenAI of colluding to keep rivals out of the App Store spotlight. Here are six key points to understand about the escalating fight:
The lawsuit is official — and it targets Apple and OpenAI Filed in a Texas court, xAI’s case argues that Apple’s partnership with OpenAI creates unfair market conditions in the generative AI space. Musk has been railing against Apple for months, but this marks the first time his AI firm has taken legal action over the matter.
2/6
Musk’s main complaint: ChatGPT has a monopoly on iPhones According to the filing, Apple’s exclusive deal makes ChatGPT the only AI chatbot integrated into iOS. Musk argues this forces iPhone users to rely on OpenAI, even if they’d prefer alternatives like xAI’s Grok, shutting out meaningful competition.
3/6
The advantage is in data — and ChatGPT is winning xAI claims that Apple’s arrangement funnels “billions of user prompts” to ChatGPT. That massive stream of real-world data helps OpenAI refine its models, while rivals face an uphill battle to catch up. Musk calls this a structural barrier that blocks fair competition.
4/6
Apple is accused of slowing down rivals Beyond integration, the lawsuit alleges Apple has deliberately slowed approval for competing AI apps and pushed them down App Store rankings, further tilting the playing field in OpenAI’s favour.
Apple insists the App Store is fair Apple has rejected Musk’s earlier accusations, saying its marketplace is designed to be impartial. It points to examples like DeepSeek — an AI app that hit number one in January — as proof that the charts aren’t rigged.
6/6
Siri may not stay loyal to ChatGPT While ChatGPT is Apple’s first big AI integration, the company has said it’s exploring other options, including Google Gemini and Anthropic. That could eventually weaken Musk’s monopoly claims — but for now, ChatGPT has a major head start.
MC Tech Desk Read the latest and trending tech news—stay updated on AI, gadgets, cybersecurity, software updates, smartphones, blockchain, space tech, and the future of innovation.
