Apple Accuses OpenAI of Stealing Trade Secrets Via Former Employees

New York. Apple has accused its former employees of accessing valuable internal information by hiring them, alleging that OpenAI has gained access to valuable internal information. In a federal lawsuit filed Friday, Apple sued AI company OpenAI, two of its employees, and 'IO Products'. Apple claims that OpenAI has adopted a 'style of theft' in its secret product development and related work. At least two former employees who left Apple and joined OpenAI are accused of aiding this kind of theft by sending Apple's internal information to their own emails. OpenAI spokesperson Drewe Pusateri told the BBC that they have no interest in other companies' trade secrets. He added that OpenAI is reviewing Apple's complaint and the company is focused on building innovative technology that empowers people worldwide. On the other hand, an Apple spokesperson clarified that the lawsuit was filed only after sufficient evidence was found. This legal battle has brought a major change in the relationship between OpenAI, the creator of the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT, and Apple. Apple's former CEO Tim Cook had integrated ChatGPT into Apple's devices with the aim of providing more AI features on its devices. However, this year Apple has transferred most of its AI features to Google's Gemini model and tools. Last April, when Cook announced his resignation, OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman publicly praised him as 'a legend'. Now Apple has accused OpenAI of strategizing to extract its confidential information. Apple has also sued 'IO Products', a design startup founded by former executive Jony Ive, which OpenAI acquired last year. Similarly, a lawsuit has also been filed against Chang Liu, a senior electrical engineer who worked at Apple for eight years, and Tang Yeu Tan, who spent 24 years as Vice President of iPhone and Apple Watch design. Tan is currently the Chief Hardware Officer at OpenAI. According to Apple, these former employees had access to sensitive projects, relationships with trusted partners, product technology, and unreleased products. Through this, OpenAI is accused of collecting details of Apple's product plans and operations. Apple also claims that OpenAI attempted to extract further information from its current employees during interviews. It is also alleged that applicants were asked to bring Apple's 'actual parts' for display during interviews. Apple alleges that the defendants have systematically misused Apple's confidential information to advance OpenAI's efforts to enter the consumer hardware market. OpenAI is preparing to enter the hardware sector by launching a type of keyboard for its AI tools this month. The company also plans to make itself a public limited company. Apple claims in its lawsuit that this misconduct has been normalized by OpenAI's leadership, and its new hardware business is based on illegally obtained trade secrets and is rotten from the inside. Apple states that attempts to discuss this matter with OpenAI last February were completely ignored. Apple has also sought damages, asking the court to immediately stop OpenAI from obtaining or using its confidential information.