It seems the honeymoon between AI giant OpenAI and Apple is nearing its end before users have even truly enjoyed it. Following the buzz surrounding the integration of ChatGPT into Apple systems, signs of tension have begun to surface, to the point that OpenAI is currently considering legal action against Apple. This partnership, which was supposed to be a revolution in the world of personal assistants, appears to be suffering from shattered ambitions and unfulfilled promises, leaving the atmosphere in Silicon Valley charged with news of disputes and “failed” agreements, as some describe them behind closed doors.
Billion-dollar promises and disappointing results
The dispute began when OpenAI realized that the figures it had envisioned had not materialized in reality. According to recent reports, the company expected that integrating ChatGPT into iPhone and Mac devices would generate billions of dollars in user subscriptions annually. This optimism did not come from a vacuum; it was said that Apple itself promoted this deal as a golden opportunity, comparable in importance to the major search deal with Google that generates billions.
However, the reality was quite different; revenues did not come close to those massive figures. Although iPhone users can subscribe to the ChatGPT service directly through settings, with Apple taking its usual cut, the uptake was not as robust as OpenAI had hoped. This left its executives feeling misled by rosy projections that were far removed from the current commercial reality.
A culture of secrecy and a “leap into the unknown”
Apple is known for its high walls and excessive privacy, even with its closest partners, and this is precisely what bothered OpenAI. One OpenAI executive describes the deal as a “leap into the unknown,” as Apple demanded blind trust without revealing the exact method by which ChatGPT would be integrated into the operating systems. This ambiguity left the developer of the famous AI model feeling like a passenger rather than a driver.
Sources confirm that OpenAI believes Apple did not put enough effort into promoting this integration. The average user might not even know ChatGPT exists within their device unless they search for it or enable it manually. This lack of “honest promotion” led OpenAI to think that Apple is not taking this partnership seriously, or perhaps is only using it as a temporary bridge until it develops its own technologies.
Siri and the maze of voice commands
One of the points that caused the most frustration for OpenAI is the way Siri interacts with ChatGPT. To get an answer from the AI, the user often has to explicitly use the word “ChatGPT” in their request; otherwise, Siri will stick to its traditional, limited responses. This verbal barrier reduces the smoothness of the experience and makes the AI seem like an external add-on rather than an integral part of the system.
Furthermore, the answers that appear within the Siri interface are considered very limited compared to what the standalone ChatGPT app offers. This restriction on information made OpenAI feel that Apple is “diminishing” the capabilities of its smart engine, preventing users from seeing the true value of subscribing to the paid service, which ultimately led negotiations to renegotiate the contract to a dead end.
Will things reach the courtroom?
With negotiations stalling, OpenAI has begun to wave the legal card. Options on the table include sending a formal letter accusing Apple of breach of contract, which would pave the way for a full lawsuit if a solution is not reached. However, the company still hopes to resolve the dispute amicably away from the courtroom, especially since upcoming releases like iOS 27 might bring new features called “Extensions” that could restore ChatGPT’s prestige and allow it to appear more effectively.
The irony here is that Apple does not intend to limit itself to a single partner; it is expected that the iOS 27 system will include other chatbots such as Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude. Although this multiplicity was not part of OpenAI’s complaint (because the contract was not exclusive), it increases the pressure on them to prove their superiority in an environment that will soon become very crowded within Apple devices.
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