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Apple accused OpenAI on Friday of telling Apple employees interviewing for jobs to bring confidential prototypes, engineering artifacts and hardware components to interviews as part of an effort to accelerate the artificial intelligence company’s push into consumer devices.
The allegation is among the most explosive claims in a sweeping trade secrets lawsuit Apple filed in federal court against OpenAI, former Apple executives and engineers, accusing them of systematically misappropriating confidential information to build OpenAI’s hardware business.
“At Apple, our teams are constantly developing breakthrough technologies to create the best products and services in the world, and protecting their work and intellectual property is something we take very seriously,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement to FOX Business.
“Recently, significant evidence has emerged suggesting individuals employed by OpenAI wrongfully took Apple’s secret and confidential information regarding our unreleased technologies, processes, and products. We will always defend our teams’ hard work and innovations, and we are taking all appropriate steps to do so.”
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An OpenAI spokesperson did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.
According to Apple’s complaint, OpenAI instructed candidates to prepare “Technical Deep Dive” presentations on their Apple work and to bring “CAD/design artifacts,” “prototypes” and “Actual parts” to interviews. Apple alleges candidates were specifically asked to bring batteries, systems-in-package, multi-layer logic boards, shields and other hardware components for “show and tell” sessions with interviewers.
Apple also alleges Tang Yew Tan, Apple’s former vice president of product design for the iPhone and Apple Watch who is now OpenAI’s chief hardware officer, used confidential Apple project codenames during interviews to question candidates about unreleased Apple products.
One Apple employee allegedly responded that he “didn’t even know we could take those from the office,” according to the complaint.
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The iPhone maker alleges the recruiting practices were part of a broader strategy to obtain Apple’s trade secrets as OpenAI races to develop its own consumer hardware. Apple says OpenAI now employs more than 400 former Apple workers, including engineers involved in hardware development.
The lawsuit includes additional allegations that former Apple engineer Chang Liu improperly accessed Apple’s internal systems after leaving the company, downloaded confidential engineering files while employed by OpenAI and coached another Apple employee on how to avoid Apple’s security procedures before joining OpenAI. Apple also alleges OpenAI used confidential knowledge of Apple’s supplier relationships in its efforts to build a competing hardware business.
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Apple is seeking damages and court orders preventing any further use of its alleged trade secrets, along with the return of confidential materials and preservation of evidence. The company also alleges former employees breached the confidentiality agreements they signed while working at Apple.
The lawsuit marks a dramatic escalation between two companies that remain business partners through Apple’s integration of ChatGPT into Apple Intelligence, even as Apple accuses OpenAI of unlawfully exploiting its confidential technology to compete in the emerging AI hardware market.
