^{Photo: UOL Economia}

Musk’s Latest Clash With Apple Over AI App Rankings

Elon Musk has once again set his sights on Apple, this time accusing the tech giant of unfairly boosting OpenAI’s ChatGPT in the App Store rankings while sidelining his own AI chatbot, Grok, developed by his startup xAI.

In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, Musk claimed Apple’s actions were “an unequivocal antitrust violation,” making it “impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1” in the App Store. He added that xAI is prepared to take “immediate legal action” against the company.

The Dispute Over App Store Visibility

According to Musk, while Grok recently climbed to the #5 spot among all free apps in the U.S. iOS App Store—surpassing even Google—Apple has excluded it from its “Must-Have Apps” section. ChatGPT, currently holding the #1 spot, is the only AI chatbot featured there.

Musk also questioned why X, which he claims is the #1 news app globally, is similarly absent from Apple’s highlighted recommendations. “Are you playing politics?” he asked directly in another post aimed at Apple.

A History of Tensions Between Musk, Apple, and OpenAI

This dispute comes after Apple partnered with OpenAI in 2024 to integrate ChatGPT into iPhones, iPads, and Mac devices. At the time, Musk threatened to ban Apple devices from all his companies if OpenAI’s technology was embedded at the operating system level, citing what he called “an unacceptable security violation.”

Musk’s rivalry with OpenAI runs deep. He co-founded the company in 2015 but left its board in 2018, later accusing it of abandoning its mission to develop AI “for the benefit of humanity broadly.” He is currently suing the Microsoft-backed startup and its CEO, Sam Altman, alleging a shift toward profit-driven goals.

The AI Race Heats Up

The latest controversy coincides with a surge of new AI developments. Just last week, OpenAI unveiled GPT-5, its most advanced AI model yet, shortly after xAI released Grok 4 in July. Both companies are vying for dominance in the booming generative AI market, which analysts project could exceed $1 trillion in annual revenue by 2030.

Apple’s Broader Antitrust Challenges

Apple is no stranger to antitrust scrutiny. In 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a landmark lawsuit accusing the company of monopolizing the iPhone ecosystem. Earlier this year, Apple also faced setbacks in court when a panel of judges denied its request to halt changes to App Store policies, including restrictions on its ability to control payment links inside apps.

If Musk proceeds with legal action, it could add yet another high-profile case to Apple’s growing list of regulatory and legal battles worldwide, including ongoing disputes in the European Union over the Digital Markets Act.

What’s Next?

With Grok continuing to climb the App Store charts and Musk doubling down on his claims, the coming weeks could see a legal showdown between one of the world’s most influential tech leaders and the world’s most valuable company. Whether this results in changes to Apple’s App Store practices—or simply escalates Silicon Valley’s ongoing AI turf war—remains to be seen.

‍