Apple Is Rigging the AI App Game-Elon Musk Just Called Them Out
Hello everyone. Gather around, because today’s saga is about Elon Musk firing a max-level Dispel Magic at the Apple App Store boss, in what can only be described as a PvP match between two of the largest, most stubborn raid leaders in the tech guild. And oh boy, Musk is rolling for initiative like his life – or at least the AI life of his chatbot Grok – depends on it.
The Alleged Apple Dungeon Gatekeeping
Musk claims Apple is essentially camping the respawn point for AI app rankings, letting only OpenAI’s ChatGPT into the king’s hall while leaving Grok languishing outside the gates in the mud with three goblins, a broken stick, and a “Try Again” sign. The accusation? Apple’s editorial curation is rigged so that no AI company besides his former flame – now nemesis – OpenAI, can climb to the top spot in the App Store charts.
In Musk’s own words, Apple is guilty of an “unequivocal antitrust violation”. Not the “slightly suspicious loot drop” kind of violation – we’re talking full-on boss fight with subpoenas as legendary weapons. He’s threatening to unleash his legal warhorse immediately, which, in Musk-speak, could mean any point in the next decade or possibly never. Schrödinger’s lawsuit, if you will.
The Must-Have Club – No Groks Allowed
Musk also asks the million-dollar question of @Apple: why are neither X nor Grok in your “Must-Have” section when X is the “#1 news app in the world” and Grok is #5 overall? Is it politics? Are the dice loaded? Are we all just NPCs in Apple’s walled-garden storyline?
Meanwhile, ChatGPT is the lone AI chatbot lounging in the Must-Have lounge, sipping MacBook-shaped cocktails, presumably thanks to Apple’s hand-in-hand stroll with OpenAI in their June 2024 partnership. That partnership baked ChatGPT right into iPhones, iPads, and Macs – like pre-installed nagware but with better PR.
The Musk–OpenAI Breakup Lore
Musk co-founded OpenAI back in 2015, only to rage-quit in 2018 after creative differences (which is Silicon Valley code for “egos couldn’t fit in the same server rack”). Since then, he’s been OpenAI’s equivalent of a raid boss that constantly respawns to throw shade and lawsuits. Grok, his “edgier” alternative chatbot, is now integrated directly into X, the social media mothership he bought in 2022 – because why not own the whole ping system?
The Antitrust Battlefield
Apple has dodged and tanked antitrust hits before, from Epic Games’ battle over Fortnite to regulator-led boss fights in the US and EU. But Musk isn’t here to play standard meta. He’s reviving that fight for “the AI era,” where Apple’s ability to decide the victors via App Store visibility could be the difference between your startup being a rags-to-riches speedrun or a rage-quit at level 3.
His core allegation: Apple’s editorial lists aren’t merit-based; they’re alliance-based. ChatGPT is in “literally every list” Apple can control, while Grok gets no such buffs. This, in Musk’s eyes, is the equivalent of a dungeon master handing all loot to the same party member while the rest get… a healing potion lid.
Paging Dr. Su to the Reality Ward
If you’ll allow a brief trip to my medical persona, here’s the diagnosis: The patient, “Grok Visibility,” is suffering from acute Promotional Starvation Syndrome. The symptoms include lack of user acquisition oxygen and chronic low-ranking fatigue, triggered by exposure to Apple’s editorial curation blacklist. The recommended treatment? A high-dose infusion of litigation and aggressive PR, twice daily until further notice.
Conspiracy Theories and Endgame Strategies
Now, it’s not exactly tinfoil-hat territory to imagine Apple favoring their shiny new partner, OpenAI, but the optics here look about as subtle as a DLC paywall in a single-player game. The idea that Apple’s curation is just “what’s best for the users” is about as believable as a loot box labeled “Not Random.” You know there’s a roll table, and you’re not on it.
Musk’s endgame could be twofold: break Apple’s grip or at least make enough legal noise to force Grok into the spotlight. If Apple folds? Congrats, Musk levels up his AI boss character. If not? He gets to play the oppressed underdog, which, let’s be honest, is the richest underdog cosplay in history.
Final Verdict
Overall impression? This feels like two raid leaders arguing over loot while the dungeon burns. Musk is going to frame himself as fighting for “all AI creators” when in reality, he’s grinding for Grok’s personal XP bar. And Apple? They’ll smile, polish their ecosystem armor, and pretend they didn’t just feed OpenAI the enchanted sword.
Is Musk right about Apple’s favoritism? Probably. Will it matter? Not unless regulators, courts, or player base mutiny force Apple to open the loot table to everyone. Until then, the AI wars remain as much about perception as they are about actual technology.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is entirely my opinion.
Article Source: Elon Musk Says Apple Is Rigging the App Store for ChatGPT, https://gizmodo.com/elon-musk-says-apple-is-rigging-the-app-store-for-chatgpt-2000641677
