OpenAI Eyes Legal Action Against Apple Over Failed ChatGPT Integration

The partnership between OpenAI and Apple, which launched two years ago with high expectations, appears to be on the verge of collapse. As several media outlets are reporting in agreement, OpenAI is currently exploring legal action against the iPhone maker. At the center of the conflict is the integration of the AI chatbot ChatGPT into Apple’s operating systems, which, from OpenAI’s perspective, has fallen far short of what was agreed upon.

Background: The Partnership and Its Promises

In June 2024, Apple announced a far-reaching collaboration with OpenAI at its annual developer conference. ChatGPT was to be deeply embedded in Apple’s AI ecosystem, including the personal assistant Siri and the so-called “Visual Intelligence” feature, which allows users to send photos via the camera to ChatGPT and ask questions about them. Through the partnership, OpenAI hoped for a significant increase in paying subscribers as well as a prominent presence on one of the world’s most widely used mobile platforms.

However, reality turned out differently. According to reports from Bloomberg and Reuters, the hoped-for subscriber numbers failed to materialize, and the ChatGPT integration was difficult for many users to find. OpenAI is said to have attempted to renegotiate the contract, but those efforts apparently came to nothing.

Possible Legal Action: What OpenAI Is Planning

According to information from a person familiar with the matter, OpenAI has already engaged an external law firm to examine its legal options. These options include, among others, the possibility of sending Apple a formal notice of breach of contract without immediately filing a full lawsuit. Such a step could initially serve as a means of pressure in potential renegotiations.

Concrete legal steps, however, are unlikely to occur before the end of the ongoing court proceedings between OpenAI and Elon Musk. Musk, one of the co-founders of OpenAI, accuses the company of having abandoned its non-profit founding mission and acting in its own self-interest. This case is currently consuming considerable resources at OpenAI.

Apple’s Departure from OpenAI: New AI Partners on the Horizon

Alongside the conflict with OpenAI, Apple is making a strategic shift in its AI strategy. The company is gradually moving away from its exclusive collaboration with OpenAI and opening its platform to additional providers. In January 2026, Apple announced that it would henceforth use Google’s AI model Gemini to power the next generation of Siri and other Apple Intelligence features. Apple is reportedly paying Google around one billion US dollars annually for this.

In addition, Apple is testing integrations with further AI providers. At the developer conference in June 2026, Apple is reportedly set to announce that users will in future be able to choose which AI model they wish to use. Alongside Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude is also expected to be available as an option.

• Google Gemini: Already contractually agreed, Gemini is set to power the revamped Siri
• Anthropic Claude: Currently being tested as a further integration
• OpenAI ChatGPT: Remains part of the offering for now, but loses its privileged status

Importantly, the original partnership between Apple and OpenAI was not designed to be exclusive. Apple’s decision to bring in additional AI providers therefore does not constitute a direct trigger for the possible legal action, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Apple’s Difficult Relationship with Technology Partners

The conflict with OpenAI fits into a longer history of strained partnerships that Apple has left behind over the years. Google Maps was originally a central feature of the first iPhone before Apple replaced the app in 2012 with its own mapping product, which was initially significantly inferior. Adobe lost Flash as an important technology after Steve Jobs refused to support it on iPhone and iPad. Spotify, in turn, fought for years against Apple’s control over the App Store and ultimately achieved a victory before the European Commission, which fined Apple almost 1.8 billion euros in 2024.

Apple itself has also put forward reasons for the falling-out with OpenAI. According to reports, the company harbors concerns about OpenAI’s data protection standards. Apple is also said to be irritated by the fact that OpenAI is becoming increasingly active in the hardware sector, an area that Apple has traditionally regarded as its own domain. This hardware project is led in part by former Apple executives, including former chief designer Jony Ive.