Elon Musk has once again stirred the tech industry with bold allegations, this time taking aim at Apple. The billionaire entrepreneur claims that Apple’s App Store is structured in a way that prevents any AI app other than OpenAI’s ChatGPT from reaching the number one spot in the rankings. Musk insists this behavior is an “unequivocal antitrust violation” and has announced that his artificial intelligence startup, xAI, will pursue legal action against the iPhone maker.
Posting on his social platform X, Musk said Apple’s actions make it “impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1 in the App Store.” He did not provide concrete evidence to back the claim, but the statement has quickly sparked debate in the tech community. As of now, Apple, OpenAI, and xAI have not issued official comments on the matter.
Currently, ChatGPT dominates the App Store’s “Top Free Apps” section for iPhones in the United States. Musk’s own AI chatbot, Grok, holds the fifth position, while Google’s Gemini chatbot is far behind in 57th place. Data from Sensor Tower also shows that ChatGPT leads rankings on the Google Play Store, highlighting its current dominance across both major mobile platforms.
Part of the controversy stems from Apple’s recent partnership with OpenAI, which integrates ChatGPT directly into iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Musk has also criticized Apple for not featuring Grok or the X app in its “Must Have” section, despite Grok’s strong performance and X being the top-ranked news app globally. In a direct post tagging the App Store, Musk questioned whether Apple’s decisions were politically motivated.
The issue comes at a time when Apple is already facing increased scrutiny from regulators and rivals over its control of the App Store. Earlier this year, a US judge ruled that Apple had violated a court order intended to promote competition, leading to a referral to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation. In Europe, the company was fined EUR 500 million (about 587 million US dollars) by antitrust authorities for restricting developers from directing users to cheaper alternatives outside the App Store, in violation of the Digital Markets Act.
Musk’s legal challenge could further escalate the ongoing debate about how much power Apple wields over app discovery and rankings. If the case moves forward, it could force Apple to reveal more details about its ranking algorithms and selection process for featured apps, potentially reshaping the competitive landscape for AI companies.
For more updates on tech industry battles, AI breakthroughs, and the latest gadget news, follow Tech Moves on Instagram and Facebook.
