Elon Musk has intensified his feud with Sam Altman by filing a lawsuit against Apple and OpenAI. The suit claims they have formed an alliance to solidify their dominance as the leading entities in the rapidly evolving landscape of AI technology. Musk’s xAI argues that this collaboration has negatively impacted competition in the generative AI chatbot sector.

The lawsuit emphasizes that “AI is fundamentally reshaping our world,” stating that businesses that do not adapt to this technological shift will find themselves at a serious disadvantage. It specifically critiques Apple for focusing solely on incremental improvements to its smartphone products while neglecting significant innovations in AI.

According to the filing, Apple’s integration of OpenAI’s ChatGPT into its iOS devices effectively marginalizes other chatbot developers. This scenario forces iPhone users to utilize ChatGPT exclusively, thus depriving competitors of valuable user interaction data necessary for their growth.

Furthermore, Musk alleges that this partnership harms xAI’s chatbot, Grok, and by extension, X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, which Musk acquired in 2022. He claims that because Grok’s performance is integral to the X app’s appeal, competition barriers set by Apple and OpenAI directly detriment X’s user base and revenue opportunities.

This isn’t the first instance of conflict between Musk and Altman. Musk previously sued OpenAI in 2024 over its transformation into a for-profit entity, a move he believed violated the original intent behind its establishment. The recent legal battle is characterized by a cascade of public disagreements on various social media platforms, marking an escalation in their rivalry.