Apple sues OpenAI over alleged trade secret theft

Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging a ‘coordinated pattern of organizational misconduct’ regarding the theft of trade secrets. The legal action specifically names two former Apple employees, Chang Liu and Tang Tan, who are now at OpenAI, accusing them of retaining confidential information and inquiring about unreleased products after leaving Apple.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed disappointment over the litigation, stating he is a ‘huge fan of Apple’ and initially believed the lawsuit was a mistake. Altman emphasized that OpenAI has no interest in the proprietary information of other companies. OpenAI has countered by suggesting the lawsuit is an attempt by Apple to protect its hardware dominance as OpenAI enters the consumer market.

The legal dispute marks a significant shift in the relationship between the two companies, which had previously moved toward a partnership involving the integration of ChatGPT into Apple products.