Elon Musk Accuses Apple of Antitrust Practices, OpenAI's Sam Altman Refutes
On August 12, Elon Musk posted on the social media platform X, accusing Apple of alleged antitrust violations in its App Store rankings and stating that his artificial intelligence startup, xAI, would take legal action against Apple.
Musk stated that Apple's actions, which prevent any AI company other than OpenAI from achieving the top ranking in the App Store, are a clear antitrust violation. His comments appeared to question why Apple didn't include X or Grok in its "must-have" app list and suggested that Apple might be manipulating its App Store rankings.
It is reported that Apple and OpenAI have established a deep partnership since June 2024, integrating ChatGPT into iOS. OpenAI's ChatGPT has long held the top spot and received Apple's official recommendation.
However, despite xAI's Grok app climbing into the top five free apps on the App Store, Apple has consistently refused to include it in its "must-have" recommendations.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman quickly responded to Musk's accusations. Altman retweeted Musk's post on the X platform, expressing surprise at Musk's remarks and implying that Musk was using the X platform to manipulate public opinion to benefit himself and his company while suppressing competitors and individuals.
The controversy occurred at a critical juncture between OpenAI's release of GPT-5 and Musk's announcement of plans to integrate the Grok model within xAI. Industry analysts believe that this clash over antitrust allegations not only reflects the fierce competition in the AI field but also has the potential to have profound implications for future industry rules and regulations.
Apple has not yet publicly responded to the matter, but it has previously submitted documents to the US Department of Justice refuting the antitrust allegations and emphasizing that its actions are consistent with market competition principles.
In summary, this incident not only highlights the intensifying competition among tech giants in the AI field, but also highlights the potential for controversy over app ranking and promotion in app marketplaces like the App Store.
With the rapid development of AI technology, how to ensure fair market competition while protecting consumer rights and driving innovation will become a critical issue for regulators and industry participants.
