Two technology firms owned by billionaire Elon Musk have filed a lawsuit against Apple and OpenAI in the United States, accusing them of colluding to suppress competition in the artificial intelligence market.
Exclusive Partnership Questioned
The suit, lodged in a federal court in Texas by Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) and his AI start-up xAI, challenges Apple’s 2024 decision to integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT into its iPhones and other devices.
Musk’s companies argue that the exclusive arrangement gives OpenAI an unfair advantage, particularly in the Apple App Store.
According to the filing, the partnership gives OpenAI access to the data of millions of Apple users and boosts ChatGPT’s visibility ahead of rival AI chatbots.
Bitter Rivalry Resurfaces
Elon Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 alongside current CEO Sam Altman, but their relationship has since broken down.
Musk has accused Altman of steering OpenAI away from its founding mission of advancing AI for the public good.
The rift deepened after Musk launched his own AI ventures, including xAI and Grok, a chatbot positioned as a competitor to ChatGPT.
Monopoly Concerns
The lawsuit claims Apple and OpenAI’s deal “foreclosed competition,” reduced innovation, and strengthened both companies’ dominance.
OpenAI is said to control about 80 percent of the US chatbot market, while Apple commands roughly 65 percent of the smartphone market.
Apple has previously denied bias in its App Store policies, pointing out that rival apps such as DeepSeek and Perplexity have also performed strongly.
Reports also suggest Apple is exploring partnerships with Google to use its Gemini chatbot for Siri.
Responses
Apple has not commented on the suit, while OpenAI dismissed the case as part of what it described as Musk’s “ongoing pattern of harassment.”
The case adds to a series of legal challenges against major US tech firms over monopoly concerns, including a landmark antitrust suit against Google.