Source: ABC News

Apple filed a lawsuit in a California federal court accusing OpenAI of stealing trade secrets as OpenAI seeks to develop its own hardware for ChatGPT. The complaint characterizes the alleged theft as part of a “coordinated pattern of misconduct at an institutional level,” and quotes the filing saying, “This case is about Apple’s former employees stealing Apple’s trade secrets for the benefit of OpenAI.” The filing seeks to stop the conduct Apple alleges and frames the dispute as a major rupture in the companies’ partnership.

The suit names two former Apple employees now at OpenAI: Tang Tan, described as having helped design the iPhone, Apple Watch and iPod and currently serving as OpenAI’s chief hardware officer; and Chang Liu, identified as a former Apple electrical engineer entrusted with sensitive product development before leaving to join OpenAI earlier in the year. OpenAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The complaint also notes OpenAI has not specified the device it is building but has said the effort aims to create a physical embodiment of AI that goes beyond “traditional products and interfaces,” and asserts that the effort was built partly on knowledge Apple says was stolen.