Musk Files Lawsuit against Apple and OpenAI, Accusing Them of Establishing an Alleged App Store Monopoly
In a recent development, Elon Musk's companies, xAI and X, have filed a lawsuit against Apple and OpenAI in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The lawsuit alleges an anticompetitive scheme between Apple and OpenAI, aimed at maintaining monopolies in smartphones and AI chatbots.
The lawsuit claims that Apple has been lowering the visibility of certain "super apps" and generative AI chatbot competitors in its App Store rankings, while giving preferential treatment to OpenAI's ChatGPT. This preferential treatment, according to the complaint, is evident in Apple's integration of ChatGPT into Apple products, a move that Musk argues is unfair and disadvantages competitors such as xAI's AI chatbot, Grok.
Interestingly, Grok, which is integrated into X and Tesla vehicles, ranked fifth among all free apps nationwide. However, it was not featured in the App Store's curated "Must Have" section, a move that has upset Musk. Similarly, X, the No. 1 free news app in the U.S., was not featured in the same section.
Elon Musk's grievances against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, are not new. Last year, Musk sued OpenAI and Altman, accusing them of putting profits ahead of the company's original mission. In response, Altman countered by accusing Musk of manipulating his platform X to benefit himself and his companies.
Musk's latest threat of legal action against Apple stems from the company's behaviour that he believes makes it impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach the top of the App Store. This belief is further supported by the brief period when rival chatbot apps like DeepSeek and Perplexity were ranked No. 1 on the App Store following Apple's ChatGPT integration.
Apple, in its defence, has previously stated that the App Store is "fair and free of bias," featuring "thousands of apps" ranked using a variety of signals. However, the lawsuit suggests otherwise, painting a picture of a biased system that favours certain apps over others.
This latest lawsuit marks another front in Musk's long-running battles with Apple and OpenAI. The outcome of this legal battle could have significant implications for the tech industry, potentially setting a precedent for fair competition in the App Store.
It is important to note that both Apple and OpenAI have yet to publicly respond to the allegations made in the lawsuit. As the case progresses, more details are expected to emerge, shedding light on the allegations and the relationship between these tech giants.
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