Maya Robertson
Apple has pushed back against Elon Musk’s accusations that the App Store unfairly promotes OpenAI’s ChatGPT over rival AI apps, including his company’s Grok. Speaking to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the tech giant said its platform is “fair and free of bias,” emphasizing safety, objective criteria, and equal opportunity for developers.
“The App Store is designed to be fair and free of bias,” Apple stated. “We feature thousands of apps through charts, algorithmic recommendations, and curated lists chosen by experts using objective criteria. Our goal is to provide safe discovery for users and valuable opportunities for developers.”
Apple on @elonmusk’s claims: "The App Store is designed to be fair and free of bias. We feature thousands of apps through charts, algorithmic recommendations, and curated lists selected by experts using objective criteria.” https://t.co/w4NFINOF9x
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) August 12, 2025
The response came after Musk alleged that Apple’s promotion of ChatGPT made it “impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1” in the store — an “unequivocal antitrust violation,” in his words — and vowed that xAI would take “immediate legal action.” No lawsuit has yet been filed.
Musk’s frustration appears to stem from the fact that, despite X recently topping the App Store’s News chart and Grok 4 becoming free for all users, neither app has been prominently featured in Apple’s “Must Have” section, where ChatGPT is currently listed. Grok’s highest recent ranking was fifth overall and second in Productivity.
Apple’s emphasis on “safe” recommendations may be a subtle reference to Grok’s recent controversies, including antisemitic content and sexualized chatbot features, which could disqualify it from curated promotions.
Musk’s claims of bias were also challenged by evidence that other AI apps, such as DeepSeek, have reached the number-one position earlier this year. As of now, ChatGPT remains at the top of the free apps chart, while Grok sits at number five and X at number 32.
The dispute also drew a response from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who noted Musk’s own history of algorithmically boosting his platforms.
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