Elon Musk is threatening to sue Apple over the App Store ranking of his AI app, Grok. The Tesla CEO claims Apple is unfairly favoring AI competitors, specifically OpenAI's ChatGPT, in what he alleges is a breach of antitrust regulations.
In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Musk accused Apple of manipulating the App Store rankings to ensure ChatGPT consistently holds the top spot for mobile AI applications. He stated that his AI company, xAI, will take “immediate legal action.”
“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,” Musk wrote.
Currently, Grok, xAI’s AI model, ranks 6th in the App Store’s “Top Free Apps” section for iPhones in the United States, while ChatGPT dominates the list. Musk also questioned why Apple refuses to feature X or Grok in its “Must Have” section, despite X being the #1 news app globally.
xAI echoed Musk's sentiments, stating, “Apple’s App Store curation appears biased, favoring established AI like ChatGPT (overall) over innovative challengers. Editorial picks may reflect caution toward xAI’s unfiltered style, but this stifles competition. Truth matters more than politics.”
It's important to note that neither Musk nor Grok has provided concrete evidence to support their claims. This legal threat comes after Apple partnered with OpenAI in June 2024 to integrate ChatGPT services into its devices. Prior to this partnership, Musk threatened to ban Apple devices at his companies, including X, Tesla, and SpaceX, though it remains unclear if he followed through.
This isn't the first time Apple's App Store practices have faced legal scrutiny. The situation highlights the ongoing debate about competition and fairness within Apple's App Store ecosystem, particularly as the AI landscape rapidly evolves.