A PYMNTS Company

Apple, OpenAI Push to Dismiss Musk’s Antitrust Lawsuit

By  |  October 1, 2025

Apple’s deal with ChatGPT owner OpenAI is not “exclusive” and does not harm competition, Apple’s lawyers said as they asked a U.S. judge on Tuesday to dismiss a case filed by billionaire Elon Musk’s OpenAI rival xAI.

    Get the Full Story

    Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.

    yesSubscribe to our daily newsletter, PYMNTS Today.

    By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

    Musk’s AI startup is seeking billions of dollars in damages, arguing that Apple would have little incentive to feature the X app or Grok, xAI’s chatbot, in its App Store due to what it described as an “exclusive” arrangement with OpenAI. According to Reuters, the partnership announced in June 2024 allows Apple to integrate ChatGPT into iPhones, iPads and Macs. Musk owns both the social media platform X and xAI.

    The lawsuit, filed by xAI in August, accused Apple and OpenAI of “locking up markets to maintain their monopolies and prevent innovators like X and xAI from competing.” Per Reuters, Apple’s legal team rejected that claim, stressing that the agreement is “expressly not exclusive” and noting that Apple has publicly signaled its plans to collaborate with other AI chatbot developers.

    Read more: Apple Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Use of Copyrighted Books to Train AI

    In a separate filing, OpenAI’s lawyers accused Musk of conducting “a campaign of lawfare” against the company and its technology. They pointed to multiple suits Musk has filed, including his ongoing case in California against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, in which he seeks to block the company’s shift from nonprofit to for-profit status. Musk co-founded OpenAI with Altman in 2015 as a nonprofit.

    According to Reuters, OpenAI argued that xAI has failed to demonstrate any specific harm tied to Apple’s integration of ChatGPT, let alone antitrust violations. “Musk’s xAI has not alleged any non-speculative harm rising directly out of ChatGPT’s integration as an option for certain features on certain iPhones,” the filing said, dismissing claims of anticompetitive impact.

    Source: Reuters