Apple has dismissed Elon Musk’s claim that the company favors OpenAI’s ChatGPT over his AI chatbot, Grok. Musk called the App Store’s promotion of ChatGPT an “unequivocal antitrust violation.”
Apple stated that the App Store is “fair and free of bias.” The company said thousands of apps are featured through charts, algorithms, and curated lists. These, it stressed, are based on “objective criteria” to help users safely discover new apps.
Musk’s Frustrations
Musk’s complaint centers on ChatGPT’s high visibility in the App Store. The app often appears at the top of charts and gets large promotional banners, including one for ChatGPT 5. Grok, by contrast, usually sits at number five in the free app charts without similar promotion.
The tension is heightened by Apple’s partnership with OpenAI. That company is led by Musk’s former business partner, Sam Altman. After Musk’s criticism, Altman responded on X, saying OpenAI would keep focusing on “making great products.”
A History of Clashes
Musk has a history of disputes with Apple. He has criticized its refusal to use Starlink satellite service and its 30% App Store commission. He also paused Apple’s advertising on X before restoring it under government pressure.
Recently, Musk urged his 224 million followers to download Grok and leave five-star reviews. Grok remains in fifth place, while X has dropped to number 38 in the free app rankings. Some analysts suggest this reflects user demand rather than deliberate suppression.
