Sam Altman Says 'OpenAI Will Stay Focused on Making Great Products' After Elon Musk Accuses Apple of Favouring ChatGPT

Elon Musk has escalated a fresh feud with Apple and OpenAI, stating that his AI firm xAI will sue Apple for allegedly favouring App Store rankings toward OpenAI's ChatGPT and excluding his chatbot Grok and the X app from 'Must Have' features.

Sam Altman countered that it is a 'remarkable claim' given long-reported allegations that Musk has manipulated X to amplify his posts, adding that OpenAI will 'stay focused on making great products'

The Legal Challenge: A Feud Over App Store Rankings

Elon Musk has taken legal action against Apple, a move that could shake the technology world. The lawsuit alleges that Apple is unfairly promoting OpenAI's ChatGPT, thereby giving it an advantage over Musk's own AI chatbot, Grok, in the App Store rankings.

Musk argues Apple purposefully excludes both Grok and X from the 'Must Have' list despite the AI bot's skyrocketing popularity. According to the 54-year-old tech mogul, this decision constitutes a clear breach of antitrust law.

This behaviour, Musk claims, prevents new AI rivals from getting the recognition they deserve and gives an unfair advantage to long-standing companies such as OpenAI. Grok, xAI's main chatbot, currently holds fifth place in the US App Store's 'Top Free Apps' list, a stark contrast to ChatGPT's number one position.

Musk also took issue with Apple's editorial selections. In a post pinned to his profile, he questioned why X and Grok were absent from the App Store's 'Must Have' section, especially since he claims X is 'the #1 news app in the world.'

The official Grok account also weighed in, stating that Apple's app curation 'appears biased' towards well-known names like ChatGPT. The post suggested that Apple might be hesitant due to Grok's 'unfiltered style,' but argued that such caution is ultimately squashing competition.

The Backstory: Not Their First Confrontation

Musk and Grok did not offer proof for their assertions, but this isn't the first time Musk and Apple have clashed over artificial intelligence.

Back in June 2024, Apple announced its collaboration with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT to its devices. In response, Musk threatened to prohibit Apple products at his companies, which include X, Tesla, and SpaceX. It is still unclear whether he went through with this.

Altman's Counter-Claim and Musk's Sharp Reply

As all eyes turned to OpenAI, its CEO, Sam Altman, shared his thoughts on the situation. Altman countered Musk's posts by tweeting, 'This is a remarkable claim given what I have heard alleged that Elon does to manipulate X to benefit himself and his own companies and harm his competitors and people he doesn't like.'

Altman then pointed to a report by the tech outlet, Platformer, which detailed how Musk was artificially boosting the reach of his posts on X.

Seemingly in response to Musk's legal threat, Altman tweeted: 'I hope someone will get counter-discovery on this [Musk's alleged boosting of his posts], I and many others would love to know what's been happening.' Altman finished by stating, 'But OpenAI will just stay focused on making great products.'

However, Musk's response was a fierce one: 'You got 3M views on your bullshit post, you liar, far more than I've received on many of mine, despite me having 50 times your follower count!'

The Apple–OpenAI Backdrop

Apple announced in June 2024 that ChatGPT would integrate across iOS, iPadOS and macOS as part of 'Apple Intelligence', with user consent prompts. That partnership elevated ChatGPT's visibility on Apple platforms and underpins Musk's complaint that Apple is favouring OpenAI.

Why The Antitrust Angle Matters

Musk's threat lands as courts and regulators scrutinise Apple. In April, a US judge ruled that Apple had violated a court order in the Epic Games case and referred the matter for possible contempt. Meanwhile, in Europe, the company was fined for limiting developers' ability to direct users outside the App Store. Those rulings are separate from Musk's grievance but frame the stakes.

What It Means For Users And Developers

For consumers, nothing changes immediately: access to ChatGPT through Apple Intelligence continues with consent prompts, and Grok remains available as a standalone app. For developers, any successful challenge could reshape how apps are ranked, featured and discovered on iPhones. Expect filings, venue battles, and months of legal sparring before any practical outcomes are achieved.

What's Next

Whether xAI files a formal complaint and where it lands remain open questions; for now, the war of words continues. Musk fired back at Altman, calling him a 'liar' in a swear-filled post as both sides rally supporters ahead of any litigation. The immediate narrative is straightforward: Musk relies on the courts, while Altman claims he will continue shipping products.