Musk contemplates legal action against Apple for OpenAI's ranking dispute

Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, has leveled a significant accusation against Apple, claiming that the tech giant has violated antitrust laws by allegedly favoring OpenAI's ChatGPT app over rival AI apps, including his own xAI, in the App Store rankings. Musk has threatened to sue Apple over this claim.

However, Apple has vehemently denied any bias, stating that their rankings are based on objective criteria involving algorithms and expert curation. The company has also pointed out that other AI apps have reached top chart positions as well.

The allegation of antitrust violation typically involves unfair practices that limit competition or create a monopoly advantage. Musk argues that Apple's behavior makes it impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach the number one spot in the App Store, labelling this an "unequivocal antitrust violation."

Yet, there is currently no independent evidence publicly available confirming that the App Store manipulation alleged by Musk actually occurred. Apple emphasizes its openness in promoting a variety of apps.

Given these conflicting positions and the lack of detailed public evidence so far, Musk's accusation is a legal claim rather than an established antitrust violation. Whether it legally qualifies as such would depend on a thorough antitrust investigation or court ruling evaluating if Apple unlawfully abused market power to favor OpenAI at the expense of rivals.

This accusation comes amid broader regulatory scrutiny of Apple's App Store practices related to competition. Regulators have previously fined Apple for other antitrust-related issues, showing the company faces ongoing scrutiny.

Meanwhile, other global news highlights include a cholera outbreak in Sudan threatening the lives of tens of thousands of refugees, Washington considering imposing tariffs over China's purchases of Russian oil, and Israel's siege of Gaza leading to a shortfall of medical supplies. Additionally, wildfires have spread across southern Europe, creating dry conditions perfect for fire, and at least three people have died and thousands have fled their homes as a result.

In other tech news, a top cancer specialist left the US and returned to his native China in the wake of President Donald Trump's funding cuts, part of a wider exodus of scientific talent. The European Union's top diplomat has called for a snap meeting of European foreign ministers ahead of a planned meeting between the Russian and US presidents, urging any potential deal to include Ukraine and EU involvement.

China has urged domestic companies to avoid buying Nvidia's H20 chips, claiming they are of poor quality and that they may pose security threats. US inflation held steady in July at 2.7%, but core inflation data rose to 3.1%, the highest in five months, reflecting that President Donald Trump's tariffs had pushed some businesses to start raising prices.

In international politics, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not been invited to a planned meeting between Russian and US presidents, raising fears that the two may sideline Kyiv in any agreement. The Trump administration is taking an increasingly interventionist stance on US tech exports, with chip giants Nvidia and AMD agreeing to pay the US government 15% of their Chinese revenues to circumvent a ban on sales of high-end semiconductors to China.

In other world news, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva held a call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, vowing to "defend multilateralism" against US threats and agreeing to increase bilateral trade. The BRICS group of nations has coalesced into a tighter alliance in response to US tariff threats.

China Evergrande Group, the world's most indebted real estate firm, said it will be delisted from Hong Kong's stock exchange, a landmark moment in China's yearslong property crisis. US cuts to foreign aid have weakened anti-poaching efforts in Africa, leading to a free-for-all among international crime groups in the illegal wildlife trade.

Finally, an Israeli strike on a hospital near Gaza City killed four Al Jazeera journalists, including one whom Israel had accused of being a Hamas fighter posing as a reporter. Russian President Vladimir Putin has held separate calls with his BRICS counterparts to brief them on his plans for a meeting with US President Donald Trump.

The US government's deal greenlighting two American chipmakers' exports to China in exchange for a 15% cut of the revenue is drawing backlash. This news article aims to provide a clear and concise summary of these events, maintaining factual accuracy and staying faithful to the given information.

Elon Musk's ongoing dispute with Apple over alleged App Store bias for OpenAI's ChatGPT app is part of a broader regulatory scrutiny of Apple's practices related to competition.
Musk's accusation of antitrust violation against Apple is a legal claim rather than an established violation, as no independent evidence supporting his claim has been made publicly available yet.
Regulators have fined Apple for past antitrust-related issues, indicating ongoing scrutiny faced by the company.
Apart from tech news, global headlines include a cholera outbreak in Sudan, potential US tariffs on China's Russian oil purchases, and wildfires causing destruction in southern Europe.
In international politics, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was not invited to a planned meeting between Russian and US presidents, raising concerns about sidelining Kyiv in any potential agreement.
The US government's agreement with two American chipmakers to pay 15% of their Chinese revenues to circumvent a ban on sales of high-end semiconductors to China has raised backlash and is under scrutiny.