OpenAI prepares legal action

OpenAI is preparing possible legal action against Apple over the companies’ two-year-old partnership that brought ChatGPT into Siri and other Apple software, according to Reuters and Bloomberg reports published on May 14. Reuters, citing a person familiar with the matter, said OpenAI has been disappointed by the benefits it expected from the arrangement and is now working with an outside law firm on options that could be carried out soon. Apple did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment, and OpenAI’s public announcement of the partnership remains unchanged. (money.usnews.com) (apple.com) The dispute centers on a deal announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference on June 10, 2024, when Apple and OpenAI said ChatGPT would be integrated into iOS, iPadOS and macOS. At the time, OpenAI said Siri would be able to tap ChatGPT “when helpful,” and users would be able to access the service for free without creating an account, while paid subscribers could connect their accounts to use premium features. ### What exactly is OpenAI said to be considering? Reuters on May 14 reported that OpenAI’s legal options include notifying Apple of a breach of contract without immediately filing a full lawsuit. The report said OpenAI had wanted to resolve the dispute without litigation, but its lawyers are now actively working with outside counsel. (money.usnews.com) TechCrunch, citing Bloomberg’s reporting, said OpenAI has enlisted an outside law firm and could wait until after the company’s ongoing trial with Elon Musk before taking any formal step. Reuters separately reported this week that closing arguments in the Musk-OpenAI trial were heard on May 14 in Oakland, California. (openai.com) ### What does OpenAI appear to think went wrong with the Apple deal? Reuters reported that OpenAI believed the Apple arrangement would lift ChatGPT subscriptions and lead to deeper integration across Apple apps, but that renegotiation efforts have stalled. (money.usnews.com) TechCrunch, again attributing its account to Bloomberg, said OpenAI was frustrated that the integration did not deliver the subscriber growth and product prominence it expected. A June 2024 OpenAI post shows why the company may have expected commercial upside. OpenAI said Apple users would be able to connect their ChatGPT accounts directly inside Apple experiences and that subscribers could access paid features from within those experiences. (techcrunch.com) ### How visible was ChatGPT supposed to be inside Apple software? Apple and OpenAI said in June 2024 that ChatGPT would appear inside Siri and Apple’s Writing Tools across iPhone, iPad and Mac software. OpenAI’s announcement described a system in which Siri could present ChatGPT answers directly after asking the user for permission to send a query, document or photo. (money.usnews.com) TechCrunch reported that OpenAI executives believed the service had been “buried” inside Apple’s software and had become hard for users to find, citing Bloomberg. TechCrunch also quoted one OpenAI executive as telling Bloomberg: “OpenAI needs to take a leap of faith and trust us,” followed by, “It didn’t work out well.” (openai.com) ### Is Apple changing the broader AI setup around Siri? Reuters reported that Apple is testing integrations with Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini and that OpenAI could lose its unique role inside Apple software. Reuters also said the legal dispute is not being driven by exclusivity, because the original partnership was not meant to be exclusive. (openai.com) Apple’s own most recent public AI roadmap points to a broader in-house push. In a June 9, 2025 press release, Apple said developers would get access to the on-device foundation model behind Apple Intelligence, and software chief Craig Federighi said the company was integrating Apple Intelligence features “in even more places” across its operating systems. (techcrunch.com) ### What should readers watch next? Apple on March 23 said WWDC26 will run from June 8 through June 12, with an in-person event at Apple Park on June 8. Apple said the conference will showcase software updates, AI advancements and new developer tools, making it the next scheduled venue where the company could address Siri, Apple Intelligence or third-party AI integrations. (money.usnews.com) (apple.com 1) (apple.com 2)