OpenAI 'IO' deal escalates Google rivalry
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Gizmodo
30 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
Elon Musk Says Apple Is Rigging the App Store for ChatGPT
Elon Musk has opened a fresh front in his ongoing feud with Big time he's targeting Apple. On Monday night, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO accused the iPhone maker of antitrust violations, claiming its App Store policies put his AI chatbot Grok, developed by xAI, at a disadvantage compared to rivals, particularly OpenAI's ChatGPT. 'Apple is behaving in a manner that makes it impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1 in the App Store, which is an unequivocal antitrust violation,' Musk posted on X (formerly Twitter). 'xAI will take immediate legal action.' Apple is behaving in a manner that makes it impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1 in the App Store, which is an unequivocal antitrust violation. xAI will take immediate legal action. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 12, 2025Musk didn't elaborate on the legal strategy or confirm whether a lawsuit is already in motion. But his public offensive had begun earlier in the evening, as if he were building a case before a jury. 'Hey @Apple App Store, why do you refuse to put either 𝕏 or Grok in your 'Must Have' section when 𝕏 is the #1 news app in the world and Grok is #5 among all apps?' he wrote in another post. 'Are you playing politics? What gives? Inquiring minds want to know.' A quick check by Gizmodo found that ChatGPT is currently the No. 1 free app in the U.S. iOS App Store and the only AI chatbot featured in Apple's 'Must-Have Apps' section. Musk sees that as evidence of bias, and he's tying it to Apple's deeper ties with OpenAI. 'And why is ChatGPT literally in every list where you have editorial control?' he added in yet another post. Apple and OpenAI announced a partnership in June 2024 to integrate ChatGPT into iPhones, iPads, and Macs through Siri and system-wide writing tools. The deal gave OpenAI's chatbot unprecedented visibility and direct access to hundreds of millions of Apple users. And why is ChatGPT literally in every list where you have editorial control? — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 12, 2025Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015 but left the company three years later after a falling-out, has since become one of its fiercest critics. His AI company, xAI, launched Grok in late 2023, branding it as an 'edgy' alternative to mainstream chatbots. Grok is integrated directly into X, the social platform Musk acquired in 2022. The spat with Apple adds to Musk's growing list of AI-related battles, including lawsuits, public feuds with former allies, and frequent claims that competitors are politically biased. Musk's threat marks the opening salvo in what could become a major new antitrust fight. Apple has long faced scrutiny and lawsuits from developers such as Epic Games, as well as regulators in the U.S. and Europe, who argue that its iron grip on the App Store amounts to an illegal monopoly. Now, Musk is repurposing those same arguments for the AI era. His complaint targets the core of Apple's App Store power: the ability to anoint winners and bury rivals through editorial curation and promotion. For an upstart like xAI, being sidelined while a competitor enjoys premium placement can be fatal. In Musk's view, Apple's promotion of ChatGPT is part of a cozy, potentially anti-competitive relationship with OpenAI. Apple did not immediately respond to Gizmodo's request for comment. It's Musk's classic strong arm move. He's done it before, yell loud enough, play the bully, and force your rival to the table. Now the question is whether Apple takes the bait or calls his bluff.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Family of Ex-OpenAI Researcher Turn to Crypto to Fund Disputed Death Probe
The family of a former OpenAI researcher found dead in his San Francisco apartment in November 2024 is using Solana-based meme coins to help finance their legal battle with the city. While the medical examiner ruled Suchir Balaji's death a suicide and found no evidence of foul play, Balaji's parents have rejected that conclusion, calling the scene 'staged' and have launched their own investigation into what they allege was a botched and allegedly covered-up probe. Balaji, who had publicly criticized OpenAI for allegedly training ChatGPT on copyrighted material without permission, had been an outspoken figure in the AI ethics debate. After his death, supporters in the crypto community rallied to the family's cause, seeing it as both a justice issue and a fight against institutional opacity. In December, a family friend launched the Justice for Suchir (SUCHIR) token on the meme coin platform with a total supply of 999 million tokens. The coin briefly peaked at $0.015 on December 29, according to CoinMarketCap, generating $5,000 for the family. Like many meme coins, it has since crashed 99% from its all-time high. OpenAI Whistleblower Found Dead in San Francisco Apartment in Apparent Suicide That effort followed a January 2025 crypto fundraiser that brought in over $140,000 in Solana and other tokens. 'It was overwhelming because we are running out of resources,' Balaji's mother, Poornima Ramarao, told Decrypt. 'Funding through crypto is a great idea—it allows us to keep going when other options have stalled.' The Solana wallet that received $140,000 hasn't received a donation since April, according to SolScan, but the wallet linked to the meme coin is still drawing funds. Ramarao has apparently not been able to retain a lawyer who will take the case on contingency. Parents of Dead OpenAI Whistleblower Sue San Francisco, Alleging Murder Cover-Up One lawyer, who after racking up $25,000 in hourly fees, said he was 'too busy' to continue pursuing the case, Romarao said. A second lawyer has charged her $60,0000 thus far. She said she spent another $115,000 on fees related to an investigation. In February, the family filed a lawsuit against the City of San Francisco and the SFPD, alleging that investigators withheld records and failed to investigate the case properly. 'Very few investigators know how to get the truth out,' Ramarao said. 'This makes it more expensive.'
Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
SoftBank Shares Surge on AI Hope and Sign of Stargate Progress
SoftBank Group Corp. 's shares jumped as much as 8% on Tuesday on bets that the tech investor would be able to capitalize on its years-long focus on artificial intelligence. The Tokyo-based company is the unnamed buyer of Foxconn Technology Group's EV plant in Ohio and plans to incorporate the facility into SoftBank's $500 billion Stargate data center project with OpenAI and Oracle Corp., Bloomberg reported on Friday.
