OpenAI is preparing to potentially take legal action against Apple due to a "strained" relationship with the iPhone maker, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
The two companies reached a partnership in 2024 that saw ChatGPT integrated into features like Siri and Image Playground across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. iPhone users can also subscribe to ChatGPT directly via the Settings app, with Apple taking a cut of revenue. Ultimately, though, the report said OpenAI expected ChatGPT to be more deeply integrated across additional Apple apps and to have more prime placement within Siri.
OpenAI executives also believe that Apple has not sufficiently advertised the integration, resulting in fewer customers knowing about it.
OpenAI initially believed the deal could generate billions of dollars per year in subscription revenue, but that "hasn't come close to happening." This expectation was seemingly set by Apple, which reportedly characterized the agreement as being an opportunity on par with its multi-billion-dollar deal with Google for search in Safari.
Apple's culture of secrecy is said to have resulted in OpenAI not knowing exactly how ChatGPT would be integrated on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
"They basically said, 'OpenAI needs to take a leap of faith and trust us,'" an unnamed OpenAI executive told Bloomberg. They described the deal as a "failure."
"We have done everything from a product perspective," the executive said. "They have not, and worse, they haven't even made an honest effort."
Siri users must use the word "ChatGPT" when speaking or typing a command in order to get results from OpenAI's chatbot. ChatGPT responses shown within the Siri interface also contain limited information compared to the ChatGPT app.
OpenAI's attempts at renegotiating the deal have apparently stalled.
As a result of the shortcomings, OpenAI is considering taking legal action against Apple, according to the report. OpenAI is said to be weighing a range of options, including sending Apple a letter alleging breach of contract, without necessarily filing a full lawsuit. However, OpenAI still hopes to resolve the issues outside of court.
iOS 27 is expected to tap into other chatbots like Google's Gemini and Anthropic's Claude, but this is apparently not one of OpenAI's grievances, as its partnership with Apple was never meant to be exclusive. In fact, iOS 27's rumored Siri app with an "Extensions" feature for other chatbots actually might better promote ChatGPT.
For now, though, it appears that OpenAI feels it received the short end of the stick.
