Elon Musk’s new lawsuit portrays the partnership between Apple and OpenAI as an unholy alliance designed for market domination. The filing by his company, xAI, alleges that the two tech giants have engaged in an “unlawful conspiracy,” painting their celebrated technology integration deal in a sinister, anticompetitive light.
According to the complaint, this alliance illegally combines Apple’s monopoly in smartphones with OpenAI’s dominance in AI chatbots. The result, Musk argues, is a closed system that “locked up markets” and created an environment where no other AI company can fairly compete. The lawsuit aims to break this alliance and seeks massive financial penalties.
This framing is part of Musk’s broader narrative that OpenAI has lost its way since he departed. He contrasts the company’s original non-profit, open-minded mission with what he now depicts as a secretive, for-profit entity colluding with the world’s biggest company to crush competition.
OpenAI has strongly contested this characterization, dismissing the lawsuit as another vindictive move by Musk. The company’s spokesperson suggested the allegations are baseless and part of a “pattern of harassment.” The courts will now have to decide whether the Apple-OpenAI deal is a beneficial innovation or the “unholy alliance” Musk alleges.