A public clash erupted this week between tech mogul Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman after Musk accused Apple of anti-competitive practices in its App Store rankings, vowing legal action against the tech giant. The dispute, unfolding across Musk’s social media platform X, underscores deepening tensions in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence sector.
Musk claimed on Monday that Apple’s algorithm unfairly prioritizes OpenAI’s ChatGPT, blocking competitors like his xAI startup from reaching the top of the App Store’s free app charts. “Apple is making it impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to hit #1,” he wrote, alleging an “unequivocal antitrust violation” without presenting evidence. His post followed ChatGPT’s dominance in the rankings, while xAI’s Grok assistant lingered in fifth place. X users swiftly countered Musk’s assertion, noting China’s DeepSeek AI briefly topped the U.S. charts earlier this year, while Perplexity AI recently claimed the top spot in India.
Altman responded Tuesday by branding Musk’s accusations “remarkable,” suggesting the billionaire had “manipulated X to benefit his own companies and harm competitors.” Musk fired back, calling Altman a “liar,” which led the OpenAI CEO to challenge him to sign a sworn statement denying he’d ever altered X’s algorithm for personal gain. The exchange marks the latest chapter in a years-long feud between the two executives, who were once collaborators.
The rift intensified in April when OpenAI filed a countersuit in California federal court, accusing Musk of a “relentless campaign” to undermine the company after it achieved breakthroughs without him. Legal documents allege Musk turned hostile upon leaving OpenAI in 2018, later founding xAI in 2023 to directly rival his former venture. OpenAI’s suit claims Musk sought to “seize the technological lead—not for humanity, but for himself.”
The timing coincides with heightened competition in generative AI. Last week, OpenAI unveiled ChatGPT-5 as a free tool for its 700 million weekly users, while xAI released an updated Grok. Apple, which partnered with OpenAI in June 2023 to integrate ChatGPT into iPhones, has not publicly addressed Musk’s allegations. Industry analysts note App Store rankings hinge on downloads, user engagement, and reviews—factors that could naturally favor ChatGPT given its established user base.
As tech giants like Google, Meta, and Amazon invest billions in AI, startups like China’s DeepSeek have gained traction by optimizing performance on lower-cost hardware. This escalation reflects both the technical arms race and the volatile dynamics between key players reshaping the industry. With legal battles mounting and public sparring escalating, the dispute highlights how personal rivalries and market dominance claims are increasingly defining the AI landscape.
