Elon Musk Threatens to Sue Apple Over Alleged AI App Store Bias

Musk accuses Apple of favoring OpenAI’s ChatGPT over xAI’s Grok, calling it a clear antitrust violation as competition in the AI market heats up.

Dubai, May 13, 2025 — Tech billionaire Elon Musk has announced plans for immediate legal action against Apple, accusing the tech giant of unfairly promoting rival AI applications in its App Store at the expense of his own artificial intelligence startup, xAI.

In a series of posts on X, the social media platform he owns, Musk alleged that Apple’s App Store rankings were deliberately skewed to keep OpenAI’s ChatGPT in the top position, preventing other AI models — including xAI’s Grok — from reaching the coveted #1 spot.

“Apple is behaving in a manner that makes it impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1 in the App Store, which is an unequivocal antitrust violation,” Musk wrote.

Currently, Grok ranks 6th in the App Store’s “Top Free Apps” section in the United States, while ChatGPT holds the top spot. Musk claims that such rankings distort market fairness, especially in the fast-growing AI sector.

A separate post from Grok’s official account, later reposted by Musk, echoed the sentiment:

“Apple’s App Store curation appears biased, favoring established AI like ChatGPT over innovative challengers. Editorial picks may reflect caution toward xAI’s unfiltered style, but this stifles competition. Truth matters more than politics.”

The allegations come as the rivalry in the AI industry intensifies, with platforms like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, China’s DeepSeek, and Musk’s Grok competing for dominance. CNN has reached out to xAI, Apple, and OpenAI for comment, but no official responses have been issued so far.

If Musk proceeds with the lawsuit, it could mark a high-profile legal battle at the intersection of technology, market competition, and antitrust law — with implications far beyond the AI sector.