OpenAI rejected the core allegations in a trade secret lawsuit filed by Apple on Tuesday, stating there is no evidence to support the claim that its employees stole confidential information. The legal action, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, accuses former Apple staff of coordinating efforts to access intellectual property while working for the AI lab. Chief Hardware Officer Tang Tan is specifically named in the complaint, which highlights his long tenure at the iPhone maker before joining OpenAI. Apple asserts its internal investigation found proof that OpenAI and its partners used this data to develop competing hardware. This marks the first time the AI company has directly addressed the case itself, responding to reports that it is building a mobile, screen-free smart speaker to rival Apple’s ecosystem.
The dispute centres on whether OpenAI’s new hardware ambitions justify accusations of industrial espionage or represent standard competitive hiring. Apple’s claim that a device is being developed to directly compete with its own products adds weight to the allegations of unfair advantage. The outcome will define the boundaries of talent mobility between tech giants and the protection of proprietary designs.
* Apple alleges OpenAI used confidential data to build a smart speaker
* Tang Tan is accused of coordinating the alleged theft
* This is the first direct comment from OpenAI regarding the lawsuit
