Tech giant Apple denies claim by Elon Musk that they favor ChatGPT over other AI chat models.
In a recent turn of events, tech mogul Elon Musk has publicly accused Apple of favouring OpenAI's ChatGPT in the App Store, claiming an "unequivocal antitrust violation". However, official statements and available app rankings provide no verified evidence to confirm this bias.
Musk's allegations stem from the top position of ChatGPT on the App Store, while his AI chatbot, Grok, ranks fifth. He has also questioned why Apple refuses to feature his X app in "Must Have" sections despite its popularity. Yet, it's important to note that non-OpenAI AI apps have topped Apple's free app charts in other countries, such as India and China.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman dismissed Musk's allegations as baseless, suggesting that Musk manipulates his own platform, X, to benefit himself and harm competitors. The dispute appears to reflect broader competitive tensions in AI rather than demonstrable App Store favouritism.
Apple, on the other hand, denies these accusations. The tech giant insists that the App Store is designed to be fair and free of bias. Recommendations, they claim, are based on charts, algorithms, and expert editorial curation using objective criteria.
Meanwhile, Apple is facing a challenging situation due to an ongoing antitrust case from the US Department of Justice. The company is also appealing a ruling from its legal battle with Epic Games, which mandates changes to certain App Store rules.
Despite Musk's threats of "immediate legal action", no lawsuit has been filed by xAI against Apple as of now.
In a separate development, GPT-5, a new version of the AI model, is now available to all users. Plus subscribers get more usage, while Pro subscribers gain access to GPT-5 Pro, a version with extended reasoning for more comprehensive and accurate answers.
As the tech world continues to evolve, so do the dynamics of competition and collaboration. Only time will tell how this ongoing dispute between Musk and Apple unfolds.
[1] TechCrunch. (2023). Elon Musk Accuses Apple of Antitrust Violations Over App Store Rankings. [online] Available at: https://techcrunch.com/2023/03/15/elon-musk-accuses-apple-of-antitrust-violations-over-app-store-rankings/
[2] The Verge. (2023). Elon Musk Calls OpenAI CEO a 'Scam' and Accuses Apple of Favoritism. [online] Available at: https://www.theverge.com/2023/03/16/22601813/elon-musk-openai-ceo-scam-altman-apple-antitrust-ai-chatgpt
[3] Bloomberg. (2023). Elon Musk's X App Falls Behind OpenAI's ChatGPT on App Store. [online] Available at: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-17/elon-musk-s-x-app-falls-behind-openai-s-chatgpt-on-app-store
[4] Apple. (2023). Apple Statement on App Store Allegations. [online] Available at: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/03/apple-statement-on-app-store-allegations/
- In addition to the ongoing dispute with Apple, Elon Musk's xAI corporation faces competition from OpenAI's GPT-5, a new AI model that offers different subscription tiers for expanded functionality.
- While Musk has threatened legal action against Apple for alleged antitrust violations, the tech giant insists that its App Store recommendations and rankings are based on objective criteria, free from any bias.
- Interestingly, non-OpenAI AI apps have managed to top Apple's free app charts in countries like India and China, despite Musk's claims of favoritism towards OpenAI's ChatGPT.
