OpenAI seeks dismissal of Apple’s trade secrets lawsuit

SAN FRANCISCO: OpenAI has asked a US federal court to dismiss Apple’s trade secrets lawsuit, rejecting allegations that it misused confidential information to support its expansion into consumer hardware and insisting that its products are being developed independently.

In a motion filed before the US District Court for the Northern District of California, OpenAI argued that Apple’s complaint fails to identify any specific trade secrets that were allegedly stolen or explain how the company benefited from them. It maintained that its hardware ambitions are based on original research and innovation rather than Apple’s proprietary technology.

Apple filed the lawsuit in July, accusing OpenAI and two former Apple employees of orchestrating a coordinated effort to obtain confidential information related to the iPhone maker’s product development. The company alleged that sensitive knowledge was used to accelerate OpenAI’s push into AI-powered consumer devices and has also sought a preliminary court order to prevent the use of any disputed information while the case proceeds.

OpenAI strongly denied the accusations, stating that it has “no use, need or desire” for Apple’s trade secrets. The company argued that Apple is attempting to use litigation to address its own challenges in retaining engineering talent and advancing artificial intelligence technologies. According to OpenAI, many engineers joined the company voluntarily because of its research environment and innovative projects.

The legal battle underscores intensifying competition between two of the world’s leading technology companies as they race to develop the next generation of AI-enabled hardware. Despite the dispute, Apple and OpenAI continue to maintain a commercial partnership that integrates ChatGPT into selected Apple services, highlighting the complex relationship between the two firms.