Elon Musk vs Sam Altman: How Their App Store Spat Could Shape Apple’s AI Strategy

In the unfolding chessboard of AI power dynamics, one rivalry refuses to fade—Elon Musk versus Sam Altman. The one between them is more than a personal feud, and, over time, it has become a defining tension, shaping the trajectory of the entire industry. Musk’s allegations against Altman-led OpenAI over its now-over ambitions to become a for-profit organisation have transpired into a case involving Apple.

Musk has accused Apple of prioritising ChatGPT in the App Store, while snubbing his company’s Grok AI chatbot. But this is not just a verbal rant. The xAI owner has threatened legal action against Apple for promoting OpenAI, largely to honour their deal that allows Siri to summon ChatGPT for AI-related tasks.

The Spark: App Store Rankings and Accusations

Elon Musk, ever the provocateur, has accused Apple of favouring OpenAI’s ChatGPT over his own AI platform, Grok, in App Store rankings. In a series of posts, he claimed Apple’s editorial decisions make it “impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1,” branding it an “unequivocal antitrust violation” and threatening legal action.

Unsurprisingly, Sam Altman fired back—pointing fingers at Musk’s alleged manipulation of the X (formerly Twitter) algorithm to amplify his own reach and undercut rivals. He even challenged Musk to sign an affidavit denying such interference.

Chatbots Pick Sides—Public Sentiment in Binary

In a twist that underscores how this feud has blurred lines between tech and spectacle, their AI avatars have chimed in:

• Grok AI (Musk’s bot) threw its weight behind Altman, citing “verified evidence” of other AI apps ranking well, mitigating Musk’s monopolistic claims.
• ChatGPT, in turn, called Musk’s concerns “valid,” reinforcing his argument about the lack of App Store transparency.

What Apple Should Be Paying Attention To Now

Editorial Fairness Scrutiny: The Integrity of Apple's Curatorial Power

Why It Matters: Apple's brand strength is inextricably linked to its reputation for quality, privacy, and a curated user experience. A core component of this is its editorial control over platforms like the App Store, Apple News, and various content recommendations. If this curatorial power is perceived as biased, manipulative, or unfair, it directly undermines the trust users place in the Apple ecosystem. This could manifest in accusations of promoting specific apps or content over others for financial gain, suppressing competitors, or unfairly disadvantaging smaller developers. The fallout from such perceptions could be a decline in user engagement, a shift to alternative platforms, and a significant erosion of Apple's carefully cultivated image as a neutral and trustworthy gatekeeper.

AI Ecosystem Fragmentation: Navigating a Fractured Digital World

Why It Matters: The rapid proliferation of AI models and platforms from various companies is creating a highly fragmented AI landscape. Each major tech player (Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and others) is developing its own distinct AI capabilities, often designed to work best within its proprietary ecosystem. For users, this means navigating a complex web of different AI assistants, tools, and functionalities across multiple devices and services. If Apple's own AI offerings (Siri, on-device AI) are not interoperable or seamlessly integrated with the broader AI advancements happening elsewhere, users may be forced to choose between optimal experiences on different platforms, potentially limiting the perceived value of Apple's ecosystem for AI-driven tasks.

Regulatory Spotlight: AI-Lensed Antitrust Concerns

Why It Matters: Apple has faced significant regulatory scrutiny over its market power and business practices, particularly concerning the App Store. The emergence of AI introduces a new dimension to these antitrust concerns. Regulators are increasingly examining how dominant tech companies leverage their AI capabilities, data access, and platform control to stifle competition or unfairly benefit their own services. If Apple is seen to be using its vast data reserves or on-device AI processing power to gain an unfair advantage over competitors, or if its AI integration makes it harder for rival services to thrive on its platforms, it could attract further legal trouble, including new antitrust lawsuits, fines, or mandated changes to its business model.

This isn’t just a feud over app store placement; it’s a proxy battle defining who controls the next wave of AI experiences. Whether Apple doubles down on neutrality, continues favouring OpenAI, or finds a new lane in this divide will determine its relevance in the AI era.

One thing is clear: in the coming months, Apple’s AI strategy will reflect not just its own internal calculus—but the outcome of the rivalry between Musk and Altman.

Read more: Sam Altman vs Elon Musk Heats Up: 5 Times Silicon Valley Fights Got Personal and Public