It seems that the war between Musk and Apple has escalated: this Monday, Elon Musk filed a lawsuit through his companies X Corp. and xAI, in which he accuses Apple and OpenAI of maintaining practices that, according to him, favor ChatGPT and harm competitors like Grok. The lawsuit alleges that ChatGPT’s integration into the iPhone and certain App Store decisions create barriers to other AI apps competing on a level playing field.

What does the lawsuit claim?

In simple terms, X and xAI argue that Apple and OpenAI have created a “competitive moat” around ChatGPT by directly integrating the model into iPhone features. The lawsuit describes how once users enable Apple Intelligence, they have no real incentive to download third-party chatbots because the built-in experience puts ChatGPT in a privileged position. The plaintiffs further accuse the App Store of “deprioritizing” other AI apps, arguing that they are denied the same featured sections or visibility that ChatGPT receives.

The complaint includes specific examples: While apps like X and Grok have previously achieved high rankings, the lawsuit alleges that those apps are missing from key sections, like the “Must-Have Apps” section, where ChatGPT has reportedly been the only recently featured AI app. That lack of visibility, the plaintiffs say, significantly hampers the ability to compete in the iOS ecosystem.

Why does Musk call this a monopoly?

For Musk and his legal teams, the problem is twofold: One is Apple’s distribution advantage thanks to the iPhone; and the other is the partnership with OpenAI, which, according to the lawsuit, gives ChatGPT access to “potentially billions of prompts” originating on iPhones. That combination, according to X and xAI, concentrates data and users around OpenAI and makes it difficult for startups or rivals to compete, which, although technically complete, fail to gain traction for reasons unrelated to product quality.

It is important to read this in a strategic key:Musk has been publicly complaining about the App Store's algorithms and how "ranking" is managed within the store. The lawsuit formalizes those complaints and turns them into an antitrust action, seeking not only redress but likely changes to how Apple allows integrations and prioritizes services within its ecosystem.

Apple and OpenAI's Response (and What Might Happen)

On the other side, the official response was swift: OpenAI called the action part of a pattern of harassment by Musk, and Apple has reiterated that its App Store is "designed to be fair and free from bias" in previous statements. Beyond the press releases, what comes next are legal proceedings that may take time and in which technical issues (how the integration of Apple Intelligence works), economic issues (whether an anti-competitive practice really exists), and data issues (access to prompts and user information) will be debated.

If the case is successful, it could open the door for regulators and courts to force changes in the way Apple allows AI services to be integrated into iOS or in how content is displayed and prioritized in the App Store. If it fails, Musk will have put on the table—once again—his public disagreement with the tech giants and will continue to push from X and xAI to compete for visibility and users.

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