OpenAI considers legal action

OpenAI is considering legal action against Apple after a partnership announced in June 2024 to bring ChatGPT into iPhones and other Apple devices deteriorated, according to Bloomberg News and The New York Times. The dispute centers on whether Apple’s rollout of ChatGPT inside iOS delivered the kind of user growth and visibility OpenAI expected when it agreed to become part of Apple Intelligence. (bloomberg.com) Bloomberg reported on May 14 that OpenAI lawyers are working with an outside law firm on options that could be pursued soon. Apple’s integration of ChatGPT was introduced as part of iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, with Siri able to hand some requests to OpenAI’s system after asking user permission. ### How did Apple and OpenAI end up in business together? (bloomberg.com) June 2024 was the public start of the arrangement. At Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple said ChatGPT would be integrated into Siri, Writing Tools and other experiences across iPhone, iPad and Mac software, while OpenAI said users would be able to tap ChatGPT without switching apps. Apple said users would be asked before questions, documents or photos were sent to ChatGPT. The companies presented the tie-up as part of Apple Intelligence, Apple’s broader push into generative AI. Apple said at the time that the system would be “deeply integrated” into iOS 18, while OpenAI described Siri as one of the places where its model could be used when helpful. (bloomberg.com) ### What is OpenAI angry about now? Bloomberg reported on May 14 that OpenAI did not see the benefits it expected from the Apple deal and has grown frustrated enough to examine legal options. TechCrunch, citing Bloomberg, said OpenAI believed the integration failed to deliver the subscribers and prominence it expected from being placed inside Apple’s software. The New York Times separately reported that OpenAI had been unhappy with how Apple integrated ChatGPT into its devices. (openai.com) The reporting does not describe a filed lawsuit or a specific legal claim. Bloomberg’s account says only that OpenAI is working through a range of options with outside counsel, which suggests the dispute is still at the stage of evaluating contracts, remedies or negotiating leverage rather than a public court fight. (openai.com) That last point is an inference based on the reported absence of a filed complaint. ### What does “integration” actually mean on an iPhone? Apple’s June 2024 product announcement described ChatGPT as a service Siri could call on for certain requests, rather than a default replacement for Siri itself. Apple also said ChatGPT would be available in system features such as Writing Tools, and that users would control when content was shared. (bloomberg.com) OpenAI’s announcement used similar language, saying Apple users could access ChatGPT capabilities, including image and document understanding, inside Apple software. That setup matters because the partnership was never described publicly as an exclusive takeover of Apple’s assistant. Apple said in a 2025 court filing tied to Elon Musk’s xAI lawsuit that it intended to partner with other generative AI chatbots in the future. (bloomberg.com) ### Why would subscriber growth matter to OpenAI? OpenAI runs a consumer subscription business through ChatGPT, so placement inside the iPhone ecosystem could have been valuable if it pushed more users toward paid plans or gave the brand more direct exposure. TechCrunch’s account of the Bloomberg report said OpenAI was disappointed that the Apple arrangement did not produce the subscriber gains it expected. Bloomberg also reported that OpenAI had not seen the expected benefits from the deal. (openai.com) Apple’s incentives were different in the public rollout. Apple framed ChatGPT as one component of Apple Intelligence, a feature set designed to strengthen its own devices and software. Neither Apple’s June 2024 announcement nor OpenAI’s companion post described a revenue-sharing structure. (bloomberg.com) ### Is there already a legal backdrop around this partnership? August 2025 brought a separate lawsuit from Elon Musk’s X and xAI against Apple and OpenAI, according to TechCrunch and Bloomberg. That suit alleged Apple unfairly favored OpenAI on iPhones and harmed competition. Apple later argued in court that choosing OpenAI first did not bar it from working with other chatbot providers. (bloomberg.com) That case is distinct from the dispute now being explored by OpenAI itself. The new reporting concerns friction between the partners over how the arrangement performed, not a complaint from an outside rival. (openai.com) ### What should readers watch for next? May 15, 2026 is the point at which the dispute is still reported as a possible legal fight, not an active case on a public docket. The next concrete step would be a filed complaint, an arbitration demand if the contract requires private dispute resolution, or statements from Apple and OpenAI addressing the reports. Any such move would likely identify the contract terms or rollout obligations now in dispute. (bloomberg.com) (techcrunch.com)