OpenAI Threatens Legal Action Against Apple Over 'Failed' Siri Integration

Breaking News: OpenAI Considers Legal Action Against Apple Over Siri Integration

OpenAI is poised to take legal action against Apple, citing a "strained" and allegedly broken partnership that integrated ChatGPT into Siri and other Apple features, according to a report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Sources inside OpenAI say the company believes Apple has failed to adequately promote or deepen the integration, with potential court filings a possible next step.

Executive Calls Partnership a 'Failure'

An unnamed OpenAI executive told Bloomberg, "They basically said, 'OpenAI needs to take a leap of faith and trust us.'" The executive described the resulting deal as a "failure.

"We have done everything from a product perspective," the executive added. "They have not, and worse, they haven't even made an honest effort."

The executive's comments underscore growing frustration at OpenAI about the partnership's outcome.

Background: The 2024 ChatGPT-Apple Deal

The two companies reached a partnership in 2024 that saw ChatGPT integrated into Siri, Image Playground, and other iOS, iPadOS, and macOS features. Users can also subscribe to ChatGPT directly through Apple's Settings app, with Apple taking a revenue cut.

OpenAI executives expected the deal to generate "billions of dollars per year" in subscription revenue, but sources say that projection "hasn't come close to happening.

Apple's culture of secrecy allegedly left OpenAI in the dark about how ChatGPT would be used, with the iPhone maker reportedly characterizing the agreement as comparable to its multi-billion-dollar search deal with Google.

Integration Limitations

Siri users must now explicitly say "ChatGPT" in their commands to get responses from the chatbot. Even then, ChatGPT results within Siri contain "limited information" compared to the standalone ChatGPT app.

Apple has also not sufficiently advertised the integration, OpenAI executives believe, leading to low user awareness.

Negotiations to rework the deal have stalled, prompting OpenAI to consider legal remedies.

What This Means for Users and the Industry

If OpenAI proceeds with legal action, it could strain one of the tech industry's highest-profile AI partnerships. Users might see delays in deeper ChatGPT integration or even removal of the feature from Apple devices.

Meanwhile, Apple is reportedly planning to support other chatbots in iOS 27, including Google's Gemini and Anthropic's Claude, via a Siri 'Extensions' feature. OpenAI's partnership was never exclusive, and the company may actually benefit from increased competition that better promotes ChatGPT.

For now, analysts say the rift exposes the challenges of integrating third-party AI into tightly controlled ecosystems. "This is a cautionary tale for any AI company partnering with a platform owner," one industry observer noted.

Read the full background of the partnership here.

Jump to 'What This Means' analysis.

The situation remains fluid, with OpenAI weighing a range of options, including a formal letter alleging breach of contract. A full lawsuit is not inevitable, and the company hopes to resolve the issues outside court.

This article, 'OpenAI Threatens Legal Action Against Apple Over Failed Siri Integration,' first appeared on MacRumors.com.