Apple on Tuesday denied accusations from Elon Musk that it gives preferential treatment to OpenAI’s ChatGPT in its App Store rankings, calling the platform “fair and free of bias.”
Musk, who owns Tesla, SpaceX, and social media platform X, alleged that Apple’s algorithms and curated lists favour ChatGPT while sidelining his apps, including X and xAI’s Grok chatbot. He said Grok, despite recent updates and being made free for all users, ranked only fifth overall and second in the Productivity category.
Apple said App Store recommendations are based on charts, algorithms, and expert editorial curation using “objective criteria,” according to media reports. The company added that it works with developers to increase app visibility in fast-growing categories.
ChatGPT has consistently held the top spot on the App Store and is integrated into Apple’s Siri and writing tools as part of the company’s Apple Intelligence rollout.
Musk, who accused Apple of making it “impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1,” threatened legal action but has not filed a lawsuit.
Apple is already fighting an antitrust case from the U.S. Department of Justice and appealing a ruling in its legal battle with Epic Games over App Store rules.
Last week, ahead of GPT-5’s launch, OpenAI announced large bonus payouts for about a third of its workforce. GPT-5 is now available to all users, with expanded features for Plus and Pro subscribers.
IANS
