Apple Sues OpenAI Over Alleged Hardware Design Theft

Apple has taken legal action against OpenAI, accusing the company of stealing trade secrets and hardware designs through current and former employees. The lawsuit, filed in a California federal court, alleges that OpenAI's chief hardware officer, Tang Tan, shared confidential supplier information with the company before leaving Apple. Tan spent 24 years at Apple, including as VP of product design for the iPhone and Apple Watch.

The lawsuit also names former Apple engineer Chang Liu, who allegedly failed to return a work device and accessed trade secrets after leaving the company. Liu is accused of using another Apple employee's computer to access confidential information and coaching the employee on copying files while evading security.

OpenAI is preparing to launch consumer devices, and Apple claims that over 400 of its former employees now work at the company. The lawsuit alleges a pattern of misconduct 'normalised and exemplified by leadership,' according to the Financial Times.

The EU has not commented on the matter, but the lawsuit is likely to have significant implications for the tech industry. Apple and OpenAI are two of the largest players in the AI and consumer electronics markets, and the lawsuit could set a precedent for future trade secret disputes.