Elon Musk has launched a fresh legal battle against OpenAI, accusing the ChatGPT creator of teaming up with Apple to block his own artificial intelligence products from the market. In a 61-page antitrust complaint filed in federal court in Texas on Monday, Musk’s lawyers claimed the two companies broke the law by striking a deal to integrate ChatGPT into Apple’s iPhone operating system.
The lawsuit further alleges that Apple deliberately suppressed Musk’s competing AI chatbot Grok by lowering its App Store ranking and delaying approval of updates. The case builds on Musk’s recent social media claims on X, formerly Twitter, where he complained about Grok’s low visibility in Apple’s charts and suggested without proof that it was part of a conspiracy.
This marks the latest escalation in Musk’s feud with OpenAI, a company he once co-founded and funded but now sees as a powerful rival.
“This is a story of two monopolies working together to protect their dominance in the fast-growing world of artificial intelligence,” the lawsuit says, filed by X and its parent company xAI. “By acting in concert, Apple and OpenAI have locked up markets, blocked innovation, and prevented fair competition. Plaintiffs seek to end this anticompetitive scheme and recover billions in damages.”
A spokesperson for OpenAI dismissed the lawsuit as “another example of Mr. Musk’s pattern of harassment.” Apple has not responded publicly to the claims.
Musk was one of 11 original co-founders of OpenAI, which began as a non-profit focused on ensuring AI benefits all of humanity. But as OpenAI shifted toward commercial products, Musk accused it of betraying its founding mission and prioritizing profit over safety. He is already suing OpenAI for restructuring in a way that favors profits, while OpenAI has filed countersuits against him for unfair competition.
At the core of Musk’s latest lawsuit is Apple’s decision to make ChatGPT the iPhone’s default AI-powered “answer engine,” replacing Siri when it falls short. Apple has said the partnership is not exclusive and that it is exploring similar deals with Google. But Musk’s filing repeatedly described the deal as “exclusive” and portrayed it as a conspiracy to limit competition during a critical technological shift.
The complaint paints Apple as a company caught off guard by the rise of artificial intelligence, calling AI an “existential threat” to its business. It argues Apple turned to OpenAI to defend the iPhone, its most lucrative product. The lawsuit provides little evidence of deliberate suppression of Grok beyond its low ranking, citing only past testimony from Apple’s former App Store chief Philip Shoemaker, who told Congress in 2020 that Apple used its rules “as a weapon against competitors.”
Neither Apple nor OpenAI has formally answered Musk’s latest claims in court. However, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman pushed back earlier this month on X, saying: “This is a remarkable claim, especially given what I’ve heard alleged about how Elon manipulates X to benefit himself and harm rivals.” Altman linked to a 2023 report alleging Musk built a system to boost his own posts on the platform.
Musk has also accused Apple of trying to protect the iPhone from so-called “super apps” — all-in-one platforms like the version of X he is building. Similar claims have appeared in a U.S. Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit against Apple filed last year.
Apple’s reliance on ChatGPT may also be giving OpenAI access to vast user data, strengthening its position against Grok and other AI competitors. Musk’s complaint argues this partnership incentivizes Apple to promote ChatGPT in App Store rankings.
Other AI apps, including DeekSeek and Perplexity, have topped Apple’s AI app charts in some regions since the partnership was announced. Still, analysts say OpenAI’s growing influence may eventually challenge even Apple’s dominance. OpenAI has already brought in former Apple designer Jony Ive to develop an AI-powered device that experts believe could rival the iPhone in the future.
