Elon Musk’s xAI Threatens Legal Action Against Apple Over App Store Manipulation
Elon Musk has announced that his artificial intelligence firm xAI “will take immediate legal action” against Apple, accusing the tech giant of manipulating its App Store rankings to favor competing AI applications. In a series of posts on X, Musk claimed that Apple is “playing politics” by excluding both his platform, X, and xAI’s Grok chatbot from the list of recommended iOS apps, leaving him with no choice but to pursue a lawsuit, reports 24brussels.
Musk specifically alleged that Apple’s actions constitute an “unequivocal antitrust violation,” asserting that the company is making it nearly impossible for any AI application other than OpenAI’s to attain the top position in the App Store. He questioned why neither X, which he described as the world’s #1 news app, nor Grok, which ranks fifth among all applications, is featured in Apple’s “Must Have” section.
As of now, Musk has not provided evidence for his claims, and it remains unclear if he has followed through on his legal threats. The Verge has reached out to xAI, Apple, and OpenAI for their comments on this escalating situation.
Currently, ChatGPT holds the position as Apple’s top free iPhone app in the United States, while Grok is ranked sixth. Earlier in January, China’s DeepSeek AI briefly overtook ChatGPT’s ranking, countering Musk’s assertion that it is impossible for other AI apps to achieve similar success.
The irony of Musk’s accusations is notable, given the backdrop of allegations regarding manipulation of X’s platform after Musk acquired the service in 2022. Research from 2024 indicated that X’s algorithm was potentially altered to favor posts from Musk’s account. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responded to Musk’s comments by sharing a report that revealed Musk had employed systems designed to increase the visibility of his posts across the user base of X. Furthermore, it was discovered that the Grok chatbot often referenced Musk’s opinions when addressing controversial subjects, including immigration and abortion.
This conflict marks yet another chapter in Musk’s contentious relationship with both Apple and OpenAI. Musk was an original founder of OpenAI and has previously directed lawsuits against the AI company. After rejecting a substantial buyout offer from Musk, OpenAI forged a partnership with Apple to include ChatGPT in various Apple devices. Following this collaboration, Musk warned that he might eliminate the use of Apple products within his companies if OpenAI’s technology was integrated into Apple’s operating system.
