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Elon Musk has announced that his artificial intelligence startup, xAI, plans to take legal action against Apple, accusing the tech giant of violating antitrust laws through its management of App Store rankings.
In a post on X, Musk alleged that Apple's ranking practices make it "impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach the No. 1 spot" in the store's free apps category. He called this an "unequivocal antitrust violation" and said xAI would move forward with legal proceedings immediately.
Apple has not commented on the claims, and Musk has not provided supporting evidence. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responded on X, calling Musk's accusation "remarkable" in light of what Altman claimed were Musk's own alleged tactics to favor his businesses and undermine rivals.
Currently, OpenAI's ChatGPT holds the top position in the U.S. App Store's "Top Free Apps" list, while xAI's Grok ranks fifth. Musk also criticized Apple for excluding both X and Grok from its "Must-Have" section, despite X being the leading news app globally and Grok placing among the top apps overall.
Musk's frustration comes against the backdrop of Apple's close integration with OpenAI. Last year, Apple partnered with the AI company to embed ChatGPT into iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Musk at the time threatened to ban Apple devices from his companies if the integration reached the operating system level, citing security concerns.
The dispute highlights ongoing regulatory scrutiny over Apple's App Store practices. In March, the European Union fined Apple €500 million for restricting developers from directing users to alternative purchasing options outside the App Store. The company also faces a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit alleging it maintains an illegal monopoly through its iPhone ecosystem.
Critics have long accused Apple of exercising excessive control over app distribution, favoring its own products or select partners. While Musk is not the first to challenge Apple on antitrust grounds, his high-profile legal threats could intensify public debate and regulatory pressure.
For now, the App Store still features ChatGPT prominently, including in its "Must-Have" list, and recently promoted OpenAI's GPT-5 model. Meanwhile, Grok's rise to fifth place marks a milestone for xAI, but Musk clearly believes the playing field remains tilted.
Whether Musk's lawsuit materialize, and whether it has merit under antitrust law, could have major implications for the balance of power in the fast-growing AI app market.
