Apple sues OpenAI, accuses ex-employees of stealing trade secrets
Summary
Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI alleging trade secret theft by former Apple employees. The complaint names Chang Liu and Tang Tan as defendants and accuses them of using inside information and recruiting Apple staff to OpenAI, with Tan allegedly soliciting Apple hardware for interviews and Liu downloading confidential files after leaving Apple. The suit also says OpenAI and partner io were involved in hardware efforts and notes that Apple believes a pattern of leaving employees moving to OpenAI. The case is filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California and seeks injunctive relief and damages, as OpenAI pursues consumer hardware initiatives and previously acquired io.