OpenAI considers legal action against Apple over failed ChatGPT integration

The two-year alliance between OpenAI and Apple is fraying, with OpenAI preparing possible legal action against the tech giant, according to Bloomberg and the New York Times.

The deal, announced at WWDC 2024, integrated ChatGPT into Siri and iPhone's Visual Intelligence feature. OpenAI expected that exposure on millions of devices would generate billions in new subscriptions and prime real estate across one of the world's most-used mobile ecosystems.

That didn't happen. According to Bloomberg, OpenAI complains the integration was buried and hard to find, with revenue far below projections. "They basically said, 'OpenAI needs to take a leap of faith and trust us,'" one OpenAI executive told Bloomberg. "It didn't work out well."

Apple, for its part, has its own grievances: concerns about OpenAI's privacy standards and irritation over OpenAI's push into hardware — including its collaboration with former design chief Jony Ive.

This isn't the first partner Apple has left behind. The history includes Google Maps (replaced by Apple Maps in 2012, prompting a rare public apology from Tim Cook), and more recently, Google's relationship as Apple's AI infrastructure provider remains uneasy.

OpenAI will likely wait for its trial with Elon Musk to conclude before escalating legally, according to Bloomberg.