OpenAI has refuted Apple's accusations of trade secret theft, claiming the iPhone manufacturer was unable to provide proof that any private data had been taken by former workers, according to reports.
In a late Monday filing in US District Court in San Jose, California, OpenAI stated, "This dispute is a mess of Apple's own making, and it is trying to blame everyone else."
In July, Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and former workers Tang Tan and Chang Liu, alleging that they had stolen trade secrets about supply-chain management, manufacturing, and hardware design as the ChatGPT company enters the consumer device market, according to a report by Reuters.
The AI lab, headed by CEO Sam Altman, claims Apple is using the case to deter employee turnover and slow down a possible rival. According to court documents from both firms, OpenAI has employed over 400 Apple employees for its hardware endeavour.
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According to OpenAI, California law permits workers to freely switch between competitors.
Just two years ago, the two companies formed a cooperation aimed at expanding ChatGPT's reach and assisting Apple in gaining a stronger foothold in AI, but the case marked a rapid escalation of tensions between them. However, as the AI sector became more competitive, the relationship gradually deteriorated.
Apple claimed in its initial lawsuit that OpenAI's hiring of Apple personnel was a component of the AI lab's plan to discover a rival's trade secrets. Tan and Liu both had access to internal Apple files after leaving the business, according to Apple.
Apple encourages its employees to use personal iCloud accounts to access Apple work documents and carry out their work functions, making it challenging for departing employees to keep personal and business information separate, according to OpenAI on Monday.
According to OpenAI, Apple's approach of escorting departing employees from its premises right away does not allow them adequate time to return corporate devices, return internal files to the company, or transfer duties.
Liu stated in the petition that any access to Apple documents he had after leaving the company was used to assist former coworkers in finding files or responding to inquiries about Apple-related matters. He claimed that after he left, Apple staff kept reaching out to him for help.
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