Musk Companies Accuse Apple and OpenAI of Anticompetitive Scheme

Two of Elon Musk's companies have sued Apple and OpenAI, alleging an "anticompetitive scheme." The lawsuit accuses the pair of attempting to limit the development of rival AI technology. This is the latest development in the ongoing saga of Musk's companies and their efforts to establish a foothold in the AI industry.

Elon Musk's companies have filed lawsuits against Apple and OpenAI, alleging an "anticompetitive scheme" aimed at limiting the development of rival AI technology. The lawsuits, filed by X and xAI, accuse Apple and OpenAI of collusion to stifle competition in the AI industry. This development marks a significant escalation in Musk's ongoing efforts to establish a foothold in the AI sector.

The lawsuit against Apple centers on the company's App Store policies. Musk, through his X app, accused Apple of refusing to feature X and its Grok AI chatbot app in the top recommended apps section, despite their high rankings. Musk also alleged that Apple's actions are an "unequivocal antitrust violation" [1]. Apple has faced multiple antitrust allegations and fines, including a €500 million fine from the European Union for preventing app makers from directing users to cheaper options outside its App Store [1].

The lawsuit against OpenAI, filed by Musk's xAI, accuses the company of unfairly favoring its ChatGPT app in Apple's App Store. The lawsuit alleges that OpenAI's ChatGPT is ranked higher than it should be, and that this favoritism is part of a broader scheme to limit the development of rival AI technology [2].

Musk's companies are not the only ones to have accused Apple of anticompetitive practices. Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite, has also filed lawsuits against Apple, alleging similar practices. A judge recently found that Apple violated a court injunction in an antitrust case filed by Epic Games [1].

The lawsuits come as Musk is expanding his AI ambitions. He recently announced the creation of Macrohard, a new AI company aimed at producing software that simulates Microsoft's products. The venture, which will leverage xAI's Colossus 2 supercomputer and millions of Nvidia GPUs, aims to disrupt the enterprise software market [2].

The lawsuits and Musk's new venture underscore the intensifying competition in the AI industry. As the AI arms race heats up, companies are increasingly turning to legal and technological means to gain an edge.

References:
[1] https://www.irishexaminer.com/world/arid-41690586.html
[2] https://cybernews.com/ai-news/elon-musk-macrohard-ai-microsoft/