Apple sues OpenAI over alleged trade secret theft

Tech giant Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the artificial intelligence company of stealing trade secrets. The iPhone maker claims that OpenAI encouraged former Apple employees to share proprietary information, such as designs, components, and other materials pertinent to future products, as part of OpenAI's efforts to develop its own AI devices.

"At all levels, from technical staff to hardware lead, and in collaboration with business partners, OpenAI has stolen Apple's trade secrets and confidential information," the lawsuit states, according to Bloomberg. OpenAI has not yet publicly commented on the allegations.

The core of Apple's accusations centers on former employees who have either interviewed with or moved to work for OpenAI. The AI company, reportedly preparing for an initial public offering in the coming months, has recruited a significant number of Apple employees. Bloomberg reports that over 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI.

This legal dispute marks a souring of relations between the two companies, which previously collaborated closely. In 2024, Apple integrated OpenAI's ChatGPT into its iPhone operating system, a partnership that now appears strained by these allegations of intellectual property theft.