OpenAI denies Apple's trade secret lawsuit claims

Apple filed the lawsuit last Friday, accusing OpenAI and its partners of engaging in a coordinated effort to obtain confidential information and intellectual property from former Apple employees. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, specifically names Tang Tan, OpenAI's Chief Hardware Officer, who previously spent 24 years at Apple in senior product design roles.

This marks OpenAI's first public comment on the specifics of the case. Previously, the company had stated it had no interest in other companies' trade secrets. Apple's lawsuit suggests that its internal investigations have uncovered evidence indicating OpenAI has utilized its confidential information in the development of its own hardware products. Reports, including OpenAI's acquisition of Jony Ive's startup io, suggest the company is working on a device that could directly compete with Apple's offerings, such as a screen-free smart speaker.