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<\/p>\nOpenAI\u2019s ChatGPT became the fastest-growing consumer application in history in the months following its launch in late 2022. Musk\u2019s xAI acquired X that year for $US33 billion ($50.9 billion) to enhance its chatbot training capabilities. Musk has also integrated the Grok chatbot into vehicles made by his electric automobile company, Tesla. xAI was launched less than two years ago and competes with Microsoft-backed OpenAI as well as with Chinese startup DeepSeek.<\/p>\n
The complaint portrays Apple as a company that views AI as an \u201cexistential threat\u201d to its future success, prompting it to collude with OpenAI in an attempt to protect the iPhone franchise that has long been its biggest moneymaker.<\/p>\n
Some of the allegations accusing Apple of trying to shield the iPhone from do-everything \u201csuper apps,\u201d such as the one Musk has long been trying to create with X, echo an antitrust lawsuit filed against Apple last year by the US Department of Justice.<\/p>\n
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The double-barrelled legal attack weaves together several recently unfolding narratives to recast a year-old partnership between Apple and OpenAI as a veiled conspiracy to stifle competition in AI.Credit: Bloomberg<\/p>\n
OpenAI has countered with a lawsuit against Musk accusing him of harassment \u2013 an allegation that the company cited in its response to Monday\u2019s antitrust lawsuit. \u201cThis latest filing is consistent with Mr Musk\u2019s ongoing pattern of harassment,\u201d OpenAI said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Apple didn\u2019t immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n
The crux of the lawsuit revolves around Apple\u2019s decision to use ChatGPT as an AI-powered \u201canswer engine\u201d on the iPhone when the built-in technology on its device couldn\u2019t satisfy user needs. The partnership announced last year was part of Apple\u2019s late entry into the AI race that was supposed to be powered mostly by its own on-device technology, but the company still hasn\u2019t been able to deliver on all its promises.<\/p>\n
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Apple\u2019s own AI shortcomings may be helping drive more usage of ChatGPT on the iPhone, providing OpenAI with invaluable data that\u2019s unavailable to Grok and other would-be competitors because it\u2019s currently an exclusive partnership.<\/p>\n
The alliance has provided Apple with an incentive to improperly elevate ChatGPT in the AI rankings of the iPhone\u2019s app store, the lawsuit alleges. Other AI apps from DeepSeek and Perplexity have periodically reached the top spot in the Apple app store\u2019s AI rankings in at least some parts of the world since Apple announced its deal with ChatGPT.<\/p>\n
The lawsuit doesn\u2019t mention the potential threat that ChatGPT could also pose to Apple and the iPhone\u2019s future popularity. As part of its expansion efforts, OpenAI recruited former Apple designer Jony Ive to oversee a project aimed at building an AI-powered device that many analysts believe could eventually mount a challenge to the iPhone.<\/p>\n
Reuters, AP, Bloomberg<\/p>\n