OpenAI is considering legal action against Apple due to a challenging partnership that began in 2024. The collaboration aimed to integrate ChatGPT into various Apple platforms, including Siri and other apps across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Apple users can subscribe to ChatGPT through the Settings app, with Apple receiving a portion of the revenue. However, OpenAI anticipated a deeper integration of ChatGPT within Apple’s ecosystem and more prominent placement in Siri, which has not materialized as expected.
OpenAI executives express dissatisfaction with Apple’s lack of promotion for the integration, leading to limited customer awareness. The partnership, initially seen as a lucrative opportunity similar to Apple’s deal with Google for Safari search, has not met OpenAI’s financial expectations. The secretive nature of Apple’s operations has left OpenAI uncertain about the specifics of ChatGPT’s integration across Apple devices.
An OpenAI executive described the partnership as a “failure,” citing Apple’s insufficient efforts despite OpenAI’s product readiness. Siri users must explicitly mention “ChatGPT” to access the chatbot, and responses within Siri are limited compared to the standalone ChatGPT app. Efforts to renegotiate the terms have stalled, prompting OpenAI to contemplate legal measures, including a potential breach of contract letter to Apple. Nonetheless, OpenAI hopes to resolve the issues amicably without resorting to court proceedings.
While iOS 27 is set to include other chatbots like Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude, this does not concern OpenAI, as the partnership was never exclusive. The upcoming Siri app with an “Extensions” feature could potentially enhance ChatGPT’s visibility. Despite these developments, OpenAI feels disadvantaged by the current state of the partnership.
