Apple denies favouring ChatGPT after partnership claims, rejects Elon Musk's allegation that App Store hinders rivals
The remarks come after the Tesla and X chief threatened legal action, accusing Apple of making it 'impossible' for apps to rival ChatGPT-maker OpenAI in the store.
Musk's criticism followed his renewed clash with OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, whom he labelled a 'liar' after Altman accused him of using X to 'benefit himself and his own companies'. The dispute marks the latest escalation in a long-running feud between the two tech leaders, who co-founded OpenAI before Musk's departure from the firm.
In a statement to the BBC, Apple said: 'We feature thousands of apps through charts, algorithmic recommendations and curated lists selected by experts using objective criteria.'
Apple entered into a partnership with ChatGPT in June 2024 but has denied any preferential treatment. The company noted that other AI tools, including DeepSeek and Perplexity, have reached top positions in App Store rankings since then.
Musk, however, continued to criticise the company online, questioning why neither X nor its AI chatbot Grok featured in the App Store's 'Must Have' section. He pointed out that X ranked as the number one news app globally and Grok was fifth among all apps, while ChatGPT topped the UK's free app chart. Official rankings show Grok in third place and X absent from the top 40.
Meanwhile, tensions between the xAI chief and Sam Altman escalated further, as the public spat unfolded against the backdrop of legal proceedings in the United States. This week, District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers allowed OpenAI's claims against Musk to proceed to trial, including accusations of a 'years-long harassment campaign' involving public remarks, social media activity, court filings, and what the company describes as a 'sham bid' for its assets.
The trial is expected to intensify tensions in a rivalry that has persisted for over a decade, stemming from Musk's belief that OpenAI abandoned its original founding principles.
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'India, even with these flip flop on tariffs, is still in the best position against China or Vietnam as a go to destination for manufacturing ecosystem for electronics and eventually semiconductors from both export and huge domestic consumption perspective. It will eventually be a two horse race: India and China,' said Prachir. The risk does not lie on the current tariffs, but the uncertainty it represents. Stable or predictable policies, both domestically and internationally, will be critical to keep investment flowing and supply chains resilient. India has the opportunity to cement its status as one of the world's top electronics manufacturing destinations. The challenge will be to ensure that short-term trade talks do not distract from that long-term goal. 'India currently holds largest share of smartphone supply to the U.S., inching towards half of its smartphone supply, which makes any tariffs imposition on Indian origin smartphone inbound supply chains directly resulting in price expulsion impacting end users in the U.S., an unwanted outcome for Trump administration,' believes Fab Economics.
