OpenAI Blames Apple for Trade-Secret Mess

OpenAI has fired back at Apple's trade-secret theft allegations, saying the iPhone maker is responsible for its own mess. The AI lab claims that Apple failed to show any confidential information was stolen by former employees Tang Tan and Chang Liu, who joined OpenAI in July.

According to OpenAI, California law allows employees to freely move between rivals, and it has hired roughly 400 Apple employees for its hardware initiative. The lab argues that Apple is using the lawsuit to slow a potential competitor and discourage employee departures.

In response to Apple's claims that OpenAI's hiring of former employees was part of the AI lab's strategy to learn a competitor's secrets, OpenAI said that Apple encourages its employees to use personal iCloud accounts to access work documents. This makes it difficult for departing employees to separate personal and company information, according to OpenAI.

Tan and Liu have disputed Apple's allegations, with Tan saying he returned Apple prototypes before departing and only retained non-confidential materials. Liu claimed that any access to Apple documents after his departure was done to help former colleagues locate files or answer questions related to Apple work.