Argument, threats, and scandal: the heated exchange between Elon Musk and Sam Altman that has spilled over into Apple.

Tech gurus Elon Musk and Sam Altman engaged in a heated discussion on social network X in recent hours about the free competition of their artificial intelligence (AI) firms in the Apple app store.

It all started with a message from Musk, founder of xAI and owner of Tesla and X, in which he questioned how Apple manages AI applications in its store .

According to the magnate, the Cupertino tech company "behaves in a way that makes it impossible for any artificial intelligence company other than OpenAI to reach number one on the App Store, which is a clear violation of antitrust laws ."

This back-and-forth between the AI icons began on Monday, when Musk threatened Apple with a monopoly lawsuit, arguing that OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot, which Altman runs, has preferential treatment in the App Store and that this hurts rivals like Grok , from xAI, which Musk runs .

Altman then responded to Musk by accusing him of " manipulating X to benefit himself and his companies, and harming his competitors and people he doesn't like," and assured that if there is a lawsuit, it will be proven , which seemed to infuriate the owner of the social network.

Musk didn't mince words with Altman, calling him a "liar." He even said that Altman had achieved three million impressions (views) on his "shit post," compared to the figures he was getting despite having "50 times more followers," as proof that the algorithm wasn't manipulated .

Minutes later, the Open AI CEO shared a Platformer article stating that Musk had created “a special system to show you all his tweets first,” reinforcing the accusation of platform manipulation .

In a third message, Altman requested evidence and clarified that OpenAI will continue to focus on developing quality products without engaging in litigation, although leaving the door open to an investigation into the alleged manipulation.

But Altman didn't back down on his accusations and pledged to apologize if Musk signs a sworn statement stating that he has never "ordered changes to X's algorithm in a way that has harmed his competitors or helped his own companies."

Between posts, users asked the chatbot Grok who was right, and on several occasions the AI agent pointed to Altman , pointing out that there are reports about X being manipulated and that in the App Store other rivals such as the Chinese DeepSeek came to top the charts.

In one analysis, Grok explained, "I seek truth from data," so "if that highlights hypocrisy, even that of my creator, so be it. xAI built me for unvarnished analysis and flattery."

The exchange had a massive impact: Altman's post about the "counter-discovery" surpassed 500,000 views in less than 12 hours.

This episode revives the long-standing rivalry between the two AI leaders. Musk and Altman co-founded OpenAI in 2015 , with the mission of developing open, non-profit artificial intelligence.

However, Musk left the organization in 2018 due to strategic differences and potential conflicts of interest with Tesla, which is also working on AI for autonomous driving. Since then, the Tesla CEO has become a leading critic of OpenAI , questioning its for-profit business model and its partnership with Microsoft, which integrated ChatGPT into Bing and Windows.

Tensions escalated in 2024, when Musk filed lawsuits against OpenAI and its founders, arguing that the company had strayed from its original mission.

Although he temporarily withdrew the lawsuit, he refiled another similar lawsuit, demonstrating the depth of the conflict. Altman, for his part, has defended OpenAI's management and so far avoided directly responding to most of Musk's criticisms.

Earlier this month, Musk refiled a lawsuit against OpenAI and its two founders, Altman and Greg Brockman, for fraud and breach of contract , arguing that they are not developing AI "for the good of humanity," their original mission.

The background to the clash directly involves Apple . In 2024, OpenAI and Apple announced a partnership that allowed ChatGPT to be integrated into iOS, giving access to the chatbot's features from native apps like Siri and Notes. Musk noted that this agreement gave OpenAI a competitive advantage in the App Store , making it difficult for Grok and other AI apps to gain the same visibility.

Apple, for its part, faces sanctions for practices considered anti-competitive , such as the fine in Europe for violating the Digital Markets Act. In the United States, it also faces lawsuits over its management of the app store.

Beyond the virtual controversy, the confrontation reflects the growing competition in the artificial intelligence industry, where more and more tech giants and startups are fighting to gain a foothold in a rapidly expanding market.

This exchange between Musk and Altman demonstrates that the fight for control of artificial intelligence is no longer just technical , but also strategic and media-related, with Apple and X as key battlegrounds in the struggle for supremacy in the AI application ecosystem.