Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing it of systematically appropriating its intellectual property. The tech giant claims that the artificial intelligence company solicited information about products not yet released to the market from former employees and candidates.
The lawsuit threatens to condition OpenAI's plans regarding devices, even before the legal case is resolved. Apple seeks compensation for damages, as well as an order requiring the firm to cease the alleged conduct and destroy the disputed material.
What Apple accuses OpenAI of
According to the lawsuit filed last week, Apple claims that OpenAI instructed its new employees on how to bypass the company's security procedures. To do this, it allegedly used a checklist created by the former head of iPhone design.
Apple clarified in its court documents that the lawsuit focuses exclusively on trade secrets and described OpenAI's work in hardware as nascent.
OpenAI's response to Apple's lawsuit
OpenAI declined to comment on its plans regarding devices. In its response to the lawsuit, filed on Friday, it stated that "it has no interest in the trade secrets of other companies" and that "it will continue to focus on developing innovative technology."
More than 400 former Apple employees work at OpenAI
OpenAI currently employs over 400 former Apple employees, whom it attracted with high compensation packages. In response, Apple implemented unusually high retention bonuses.
The company even sent senior executives to persuade senior engineers to stay in Cupertino, California. The talent drain has become one of Apple's biggest internal concerns in recent months.
Eddy Cue's testimony on the future of the iPhone
Apple's services chief, Eddy Cue, had warned during the antitrust trial against Google's search engine that artificial intelligence could transform the device market.
"In ten years, I might not need an iPhone anymore, no matter how crazy that sounds," Cue stated at that time.
How the lawsuit could affect OpenAI's plans
The mere filing of the lawsuit already represents a hurdle for OpenAI. The accusations could lead Apple employees to reconsider their move to the artificial intelligence company, as attending an interview could expose them to scrutiny from Apple's security team.
