Apple dismisses Elon Musk’s claims that App Store favors OpenAI over other AI apps

In a bold rebuttal, Apple has firmly denied Elon Musk's allegations that the App Store exhibits favoritism towards OpenAI, sidelining competing AI applications. The tech giant stated, "We feature thousands of apps through charts, algorithmic recommendations, and curated lists selected by experts using objective criteria," according to a report by the BBC. This backlash follows Musk's threats of legal action through his venture xAI, where he accused Apple of creating an environment that hinders any AI company, apart from OpenAI, from achieving the top position in the App Store rankings. Notably, Apple has been collaborating with OpenAI since last year to incorporate its models and ChatGPT functionalities into various Apple products, including Siri and iOS. Despite Musk's assertions, there is no substantial evidence to support the claim that the App Store is biased towards OpenAI. In fact, other AI applications such as Perplexity and DeekSeek have successfully climbed the App Store charts in the past year. Historically, Apple might have overlooked such accusations; however, with increasing regulatory scrutiny and evolving laws globally aimed at curtailing its influence in the app distribution sector, the company is under pressure to respond. Additionally, Apple is currently facing criticism from a U.S. district judge regarding its ongoing legal battle with Epic Games, specifically over its failure to adhere to mandated policy changes. This context adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing discussions about fairness and competition in the app marketplace.