OpenAI denies merit of Apple trade-secret lawsuit

OpenAI on Tuesday responded to Apple’s trade-secret lawsuit, stating it is not aware of any evidence that the complaint has merit. > "While we take these allegations seriously, we’re not aware of any evidence that this complaint has merit," the company said in a statement shared on X. The lab added that it supports fair competition and the freedom of employees to work wherever they choose, and that its focus remains on building innovative technology.

Apple filed a 41-page complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, accusing OpenAI and its partners of obtaining confidential information from former Apple employees, including chief hardware officer Tang Tan, who spent 24 years at Apple in senior product-design roles. Apple’s filing claims an internal investigation uncovered evidence of misuse of its proprietary data as OpenAI develops its own hardware.

OpenAI’s earlier comment, issued shortly after the lawsuit was filed, emphasized that it has no interest in other companies’ trade secrets and is concentrating on its own technology. Recent reports link OpenAI’s acquisition of designer Jony Ive’s startup io to a planned mobile, screen-free smart speaker that could compete with Apple’s products. Bloomberg described the device as a “humanlike AI companion” built with input from former Apple engineers.

TechCrunch has requested additional comment from OpenAI and will update the story as more information becomes available.