Apple responds to Musk and denies favoritism toward OpenAI in App Store rankings

Apple defends its ranking system as fair and transparent, while the dispute with xAI intensifies on technical and reputational fronts.

Apple has broken its silence. Following Elon Musk’s public accusation that the company unfairly favors OpenAI’s ChatGPT over xAI’s Grok in the App Store, Apple has issued a formal response denying any misconduct and defending the integrity of its ranking and recommendation systems. According to the statement, the App Store is “designed to be fair and free of bias,” with visibility determined by a mix of algorithmic signals, curated editorial choices, and objective performance metrics.

Apple emphasized that top placement in the “Top Free” section or inclusion in the “Must-Have” collections is based on quantifiable user engagement indicators such as downloads, ratings, and retention—alongside human editorial review by experts who follow established criteria. The company reaffirmed that it applies the same standards to all apps, regardless of developer affiliation, including those backed by OpenAI or xAI.

Musk has yet to provide evidence but continues to push the narrative of algorithmic discrimination.

Despite announcing an “imminent lawsuit” through xAI’s official channels, Elon Musk has not yet filed a formal legal complaint, nor has he provided technical data to substantiate his claims. His central allegation remains that Grok has been artificially kept out of top visibility positions, while ChatGPT enjoys near-permanent prominence at the top of the App Store's free rankings and curated lists.

Musk also accused Apple of excluding Grok and the X app from the “Must-Have” collection, despite Grok reportedly ranking as high as #5 in downloads. According to Musk, this exclusion constitutes proof of manipulation—yet no internal Apple practices or emails have been shared to support the claim.

Apple and third parties point to other AI apps reaching the top spot as counterexamples.

In what appears to be a strategic rebuttal, Apple has highlighted recent examples of other AI applications—unaffiliated with OpenAI—achieving top rankings in international versions of the App Store. These include DeepSeek in China and Perplexity AI in India, both of which have reached #1 in the "Top Free" chart in their respective regions.

This suggests that App Store visibility is dynamic and not exclusive to OpenAI’s ecosystem, weakening the narrative that ChatGPT receives special treatment across all regions. It also implies that local user behavior and algorithmic tuning play significant roles in shaping regional rankings.

Altman intensifies his counterattack, accusing Musk of manipulating X to favor his own ventures.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has responded not by defending Apple but by turning the spotlight onto Musk himself. In several posts and interviews, Altman claimed that Musk uses the platform X (formerly Twitter) to elevate his own companies—including xAI—by altering visibility algorithms and editorial placement within the app.

Altman challenged Musk to submit a sworn statement affirming that he has never used administrative access to manipulate the X algorithm for personal or corporate gain. In a rare escalation, Altman added that he would publicly apologize if Musk could prove this claim under oath.

Musk, in turn, dismissed the demand and responded with a public post calling Altman a “liar,” further escalating the feud into a high-profile social media spectacle that now involves legal threats, reputational damage, and conflicting visions of platform neutrality.

The situation evolves into a test case for AI marketplace transparency and platform control.

While the personal dimension of the Musk–Altman rivalry continues to dominate headlines, the broader implications concern how digital marketplaces regulate the visibility of AI tools. At stake is the question of whether tech platforms—especially dominant ones like Apple—can or should face regulatory oversight for how they curate and rank AI-driven applications.

Apple’s defense rests on the claim that its processes are structured, rule-based, and not subject to preferential bias. However, if Musk proceeds with legal action, this could trigger deeper scrutiny into app ranking mechanics, recommendation algorithms, and editorial practices not only at Apple but across all major distribution platforms.

With regulators in the U.S. and Europe already showing interest in AI governance and digital competition, this public clash could set the stage for future inquiries into the fairness of visibility and access within the increasingly crowded AI ecosystem.

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