Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI on Friday, accusing the company of stealing trade secrets related to its hardware projects. The suit names two former Apple employees now working at OpenAI and the hardware firm io Products.
The complaint was filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. It alleges that OpenAI's Chief Hardware Officer Tang Tan and engineer Chang Liu improperly shared confidential information about unreleased products, engineering presentations and supplier details.
Apple claims Tan directed job candidates still employed at Apple to bring prototype parts to interviews for review by OpenAI staff. Liu is accused of downloading dozens of confidential hardware files before leaving the company.
OpenAI responded that it has no interest in other companies' trade secrets and remains focused on building innovative technology. The existing partnership allowing ChatGPT integration into Apple devices is not affected by the allegations.
Apple described OpenAI's hardware efforts as resting on foundations rotten to the core due to the alleged misconduct.
