OpenAI Weighs Legal Action Against Apple on ChatGPT Deal

OpenAI is weighing legal action against Apple over their partnership to integrate ChatGPT into iPhones, iPads, and Macs, after the arrangement failed to generate the expected surge in paid subscriptions, according to people familiar with the deliberations.

The deal, announced in June 2024 at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, allowed users to access ChatGPT through Siri, Writing Tools, Visual Intelligence, and Image Playground. OpenAI anticipated deep integration across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, along with prominent Siri placement, would drive billions of dollars in annual revenue from Apple's more than one billion active devices. Apple would receive a share of subscriptions initiated via its platforms, with no upfront fees.

Instead, OpenAI executives view the implementation as limited and ineffective. Users must explicitly say "ChatGPT" in Siri prompts to trigger responses, which appear in small windows with restricted information and fewer features than the standalone app, such as persistent memory or custom models. Internal OpenAI user studies showed Apple device owners prefer downloading the dedicated app. One executive described Apple's efforts as lacking, stating the...