OpenAI weighs legal action vs Apple

OpenAI is weighing legal action against Apple after a partnership that put ChatGPT inside Siri and other Apple software failed to deliver the distribution and subscription gains OpenAI expected, according to reports published on May 14. The dispute centers on a deal announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2024, when Apple said ChatGPT would be integrated into iOS, iPadOS and macOS, with Siri able to hand some requests to OpenAI’s chatbot. Apple and OpenAI have not publicly announced any lawsuit between them. But the relationship has become strained enough that OpenAI has discussed legal options, including a possible breach-of-contract notice, according to the New York Times and follow-on reports citing Bloomberg. ### What exactly did Apple and OpenAI agree to in 2024? Apple announced on June 10, 2024 that ChatGPT would be integrated into experiences across iPhone, iPad and Mac, and that Siri could tap ChatGPT when useful, with users asked before questions, documents or photos were sent to OpenAI. Apple said the feature would be part of Apple Intelligence in iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia. OpenAI described the arrangement at the time as a way for Apple users to access ChatGPT’s image and document understanding without switching apps. Reports this week said the commercial logic was different from a traditional licensing deal: Apple was not paying OpenAI for the integration, and OpenAI instead expected Apple’s reach to drive paid ChatGPT subscriptions, with Apple taking a cut of subscriptions sold through iOS. (apple.com) ### Why is OpenAI unhappy now? Bloomberg, as summarized by the New York Times, TechCrunch and 9to5Mac on May 14, reported that OpenAI believed the partnership would produce deeper integration across Apple apps, more prominent placement in Siri and a large stream of new subscribers. Those gains did not materialize, the reports said. An unnamed OpenAI executive told Bloomberg that Apple had asked the company to “take a leap of faith,” according to TechCrunch and 9to5Mac. (openai.com) The same reports said OpenAI had done “everything from a product perspective” and believed Apple had not made an “honest effort” to support the rollout. Those accounts also said OpenAI had enlisted outside counsel to review options that could be executed in the near future. (nytimes.com) ### Is this the same thing as Elon Musk’s lawsuit? X Corp. and xAI sued Apple and OpenAI in the Northern District of Texas on Aug. 25, 2025, according to CourtListener’s docket for the case. The suit is separate from the possible OpenAI action against Apple, but it involves the same Apple-OpenAI partnership and has become part of the backdrop to the current dispute. 9to5Mac reported that xAI’s case alleges Apple’s deal with OpenAI influenced App Store rankings and competition involving large language models and super apps. (techcrunch.com) Apple has denied those accusations, 9to5Mac said, and has disputed claims that its arrangement with OpenAI was exclusive. ### Why does Craig Federighi matter here? U.S. Magistrate Judge Hal R. (courtlistener.com) Ray Jr. granted xAI’s request on May 15 to add Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, as a document custodian in the Texas case, according to 9to5Mac’s report on the order. The court did not add Chief Executive Tim Cook. The order, as quoted by 9to5Mac, said plaintiffs had shown Federighi might have unique relevant evidence because he was likely a key decision-maker on Apple’s software development and the OpenAI integration. (9to5mac.com) The court said plaintiffs had not made the same showing for Cook. Apple must provide responsive discoverable documents in Federighi’s possession by June 17, 2026, according to that report. ### Does the court order mean OpenAI has already sued Apple? The May 15 order does not mean OpenAI has filed its own case against Apple. The Federighi ruling came in xAI’s existing antitrust lawsuit, not in a new OpenAI complaint. The reports on May 14 described OpenAI as considering legal action, not having taken it. One option under review was a formal notice alleging breach of contract without immediately filing a full lawsuit, according to 9to5Mac’s summary of Bloomberg’s reporting. (9to5mac.com) ### What happens next? June 17, 2026 is the next concrete date in the court fight already underway: that is the deadline 9to5Mac reported for Apple to produce Federighi’s responsive documents in xAI’s case. (9to5mac.com) Separately, any OpenAI move against Apple would most likely begin with a formal notice or filing by named lawyers for the company, if it proceeds at all. (9to5mac.com)