Elon Musk vs Sam Altman: AI Rivals Clash Over App Store, Accusations Turn Personal
In the fast-moving world of artificial intelligence, tensions are heating up between two of tech’s biggest figures—Elon Musk and Sam Altman. What started as a disagreement over app store policies has quickly escalated into a very public and very personal battle, highlighting deeper conflicts around business ethics, platform power, and the future of AI itself.
The latest confrontation began when Elon Musk accused Apple of rigging the App Store in favor of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, claiming the tech giant made it nearly impossible for any rival AI—like Musk’s own Grok, developed by xAI—to achieve top rankings. Labeling it “a clear antitrust violation,” Musk threatened legal action, arguing Apple’s policies unfairly suppress competitors.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, didn’t stay silent. Responding via X (formerly Twitter), he dismissed Musk’s allegations as hypocritical. Altman implied that Musk himself manipulates X to elevate his ventures and undercut rivals. Sharing an old article suggesting Musk inflated his own social media visibility, Altman quipped, “We’ll stay focused on building great products.”
Ideology or Business Strategy?
While Musk has frequently criticized OpenAI for shifting away from its original non-profit mission, critics point out that xAI operates as a for-profit entity, offering a subscription-based Grok chatbot. With Musk also pushing AI across Tesla, Neuralink, and his humanoid robot Optimus, some argue his feud is less about principles—and more about market dominance.
Meanwhile, Altman recently abandoned a plan to restructure OpenAI’s governance, keeping its nonprofit model intact. Musk’s camp, however, brushed off the move as superficial.
The Feud Gets Personal
In a recent interview, Altman accused Musk of long-standing attempts to manipulate platforms for personal gain. Musk, in turn, continued to challenge Altman’s motives and the transparency of OpenAI’s operations—claiming to be fighting for the original, “open” spirit of artificial intelligence.
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