Elon Musk’s companies moved the antitrust fight with Apple and ChatGPT into a new stage this week after a U.S. federal judge refused to dismiss X Corp. and xAI’s complaint, granting the case to move forward.The firms allege that Apple and OpenAI conspired to give OpenAI’s ChatGPT preferential treatment in Apple’s operating systems and App Store, a scheme X and xAI say has the effect of excluding rival chatbots such as Grok from fair access to iPhone users and the broader smartphone market.The court’s decision to deny motions to dismiss means the core allegations, including claims that Apple’s integrations and editorial placement amount to anticompetitive conduct, will be litigated. Apple and OpenAI have denied the allegations, characterizing their partnership and App Store operations as lawful and nonexclusive.On social media, Elon Musk reposted a meme thread in response; the meme allegedly depicted that Apple is forcing ChatGPT upon users through its ecosystem integrations. Musk tweeted on November 18, 2025, stating:“True story.”This is not the first time Musk has referenced memes. Reporting does confirm Musk has repeatedly used memes and posts to criticize the Apple–OpenAI arrangement and to warn of operational and security concerns.Overview of the xAI–X Corp. antitrust case against Apple and ChatGPTIn its lawsuit, xAI and X Corp. accuse Apple and OpenAI of collaborating in a way that locks out competition in both smartphone-AI and generative-AI markets. According to the complaint, Apple integrated ChatGPT into its core operating system features, particularly via Apple Intelligence, so deeply that iPhone users “have no choice but to use ChatGPT,” even if they would prefer innovative chatbots like xAI’s Grok.The lawsuit also claims that Apple deliberately “deprioritised” rival apps in the App Store; despite Grok’s popularity, neither it nor X appears in the editorial “Must-Have Apps” section, where ChatGPT is said to have a prominent listing.Musk’s allegation is that this “locked-in” arrangement amounts to monopolistic behavior, denying Grok access to the kind of scale and user data that ChatGPT gains via its system-level integration. Apple and OpenAI have pushed back strongly. Apple argues its App Store is “fair and free of bias,” and that its promotional algorithms and curated app lists are based on objective criteria, not favoritism.Andrade @keithrandradeLINKMUSK sues APPLE and OPENAI claiming they rigged the AI market against his Grok chatbot Elon Musk filed a Texas lawsuit alleging Apple and OpenAI created an anti-competitive partnership that buries his AI chatbot Grok in App Store rankings, despite Grok's 4.9-star rating from 1OpenAI, meanwhile, has dismissed the case as being part of Musk’s ongoing antagonism, calling the lawsuit “consistent with Mr Musk’s ongoing pattern of harassment.” A key turning point came when a judge refused to dismiss the case, permitting X Corp. and xAI to move forward with their claims.The decision means the court will now consider merits such as whether the Apple-OpenAI relationship amounts to an antitrust violation and whether Apple’s App Store practices unreasonably stifle rival AI developers. The outcome could have major implications for how mobile platforms manage system-level AI features and how antitrust law applies in the evolving world of generative AI.With the judge declining to dismiss the claims, the parties will now proceed toward standard discovery procedures, during which evidence related to system-level integrations, commercial arrangements, and App Store governance may be examined as part of the litigation.Stay tuned for more updates.