Apple-OpenAI partnership frays as AI startup weighs legal action against AAPL

OpenAI is preparing possible legal action against Apple Inc. over their two-year-old ChatGPT integration partnership, Bloomberg reported May 14, 2026, citing people familiar with the matter. Apple shares fell as much as 1.2% intraday to $295.38 after the report. OpenAI lawyers are working with an outside law firm on options that could include a breach-of-contract notice, though no final decision has been made and the company still hopes to resolve the dispute outside court. Any formal move is unlikely before the conclusion of OpenAI’s trial involving Elon Musk, the report said. OpenAI expected the Apple deal, announced in June 2024, to drive ChatGPT subscriptions through Siri and other Apple software. Instead, usage has remained limited, with customers more often using the standalone ChatGPT app. Apple is also preparing to add rival AI providers, including Anthropic’s Claude and Google Gemini, to iOS 27, which is expected to be introduced June 8, 2026.