Apple Inc. has filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Northern District of California against OpenAI, its subsidiary io Products, and two former Apple employees. The complaint alleges that these parties were involved in a coordinated effort to steal Apple’s trade secrets related to product designs and manufacturing processes [1][2][3][4]. This move comes after more than 400 former Apple employees now work for OpenAI, according to the company's statement [1].
The lawsuit claims that OpenAI acquired io Products last year in a $6.5 billion acquisition [1], which has led to concerns about potential espionage activities within the tech industry. The allegations suggest that these individuals are using their connections at OpenAI and former Apple positions to benefit from stolen confidential information [2][3][4].
This move by Apple is not unprecedented; similar accusations have been made in previous cases involving trade secrets theft, particularly in the AI hardware sector where intellectual property can be highly valuable. The lawsuit underscores the ongoing tension between tech giants over proprietary data and its use for competitive advantage.