Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the AI company of trade secret theft and breach of contract. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that OpenAI’s senior leadership, including Chief Hardware Officer Tang Tan, engaged in misconduct by using Apple’s confidential project code names during recruitment and coaching former employees on how to bypass security protocols. The case highlights Apple’s claims that OpenAI has been systematically extracting sensitive information from former Apple staff.
The complaint details several alleged actions by OpenAI, including asking job candidates to bring Apple hardware to interviews and requesting details about unannounced products. It also claims that former Apple employee Chang Liu failed to return an Apple-issued laptop and used it to download confidential technical documents. Apple says the stolen information included details about unannounced technologies and proprietary project data. The lawsuit further alleges that OpenAI shared Apple’s confidential information with other job applicants and used it in its hardware development.
Apple’s lawsuit comes as OpenAI is reportedly developing its first hardware product, which could compete with the iPhone. The company also notes that its former lead designer Jony Ive’s startup, io, was acquired by OpenAI in a $6.5 billion deal to support its hardware ambitions. Apple is seeking court orders to block OpenAI from using or disclosing its trade secrets and to preserve evidence related to the case.
Source: techcrunch
