In a bold legal move, Elon Musk’s enterprises X and xAI have launched a lawsuit seeking billions in damages from tech giants Apple and OpenAI.

The case, filed in a federal court in Texas, accuses the two companies of stifling competition within the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence.

xAI, Musk’s AI startup, claims that Apple and OpenAI are collaborating to maintain their monopolistic hold over this rapidly advancing technology.

"This is a tale of two monopolists joining forces to ensure their continued dominance," the lawsuit states.

It further alleges that both companies have conspired to lock up markets, obstructing innovators like X and xAI from making headway.

The complaint specifically targets Apple's App Store practices. It argues that Apple is unfairly prioritizing ChatGPT over other chatbot applications, including xAI's Grok, thereby denying these competitors critical user interactions needed for software development.

"Apple's exclusive deal with OpenAI leaves it no reason to feature Grok prominently," the filing asserts. Musk echoed this sentiment on his platform, posting: "A million reviews with 4.9 average for @Grok and still Apple refuses to mention Grok on any lists."

This comes after Apple's recent integration of ChatGPT into its devices post-partnership with OpenAI - a move seen as an effort to recover lost ground in AI advancements.

Neither Apple nor OpenAI has refrained from commenting extensively; however, OpenAI dismissed the lawsuit as part of what they perceive as an ongoing pattern of harassment by Musk. They noted that such claims were consistent with his past actions against them.

This legal battle follows earlier indications from Musk about potential litigation due to what he described as Apple's restrictive behavior preventing other AI companies from ascending the App Store rankings - an action he deems as clear antitrust violation.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responded critically to these allegations, highlighting purported manipulations by Musk benefiting his ventures while undermining competitors.

ChatGPT achieved historical growth following its late 2022 launch. As competition intensifies with players like Microsoft-backed OpenAI and Chinese rival DeepSeek entering the fray, xAI joins these contenders having emerged onto the scene in 2023.

Musk's history with OpenAI runs deep; he co-founded it alongside Altman back in 2015 as a nonprofit venture before it evolved into profit-seeking operations-a transformation which now forms another basis for legal contention between them under California law.