OpenAI has taken the unusual step of publishing internal communications, including emails and chat messages, to dispute a significant trade secret theft lawsuit filed by tech giant Apple. The AI company's public blog post directly addresses Apple's accusations, asserting that the claims are factually inaccurate and that OpenAI possesses none of Apple's confidential information.
Apple's Allegations of Trade Secret Theft
Apple initiated legal proceedings against OpenAI, alleging that more than 400 of its former employees, now working at OpenAI, may have unlawfully taken confidential trade secrets. The lawsuit posits that these employees transferred proprietary data to OpenAI upon joining the company. Apple reportedly contacted OpenAI in February to inform them of an internal investigation into the potential theft, claiming OpenAI did not respond to this communication.
OpenAI's Strong Rebuttal and Evidence
In its detailed response, OpenAI vehemently denies Apple's accusations, stating, "We do not have, nor want, any of their trade secrets." The company characterizes Apple's lawsuit as containing "vague accusations" and suggests Apple is attempting to "change their narrative."
OpenAI specifically highlights several alleged inaccuracies in Apple's legal filings:
- Incorrect Communication Claims: OpenAI refutes Apple's assertion that the matter was discussed with OpenAI's General Counsel, stating such a conversation never occurred. Apple later acknowledged this mistake in court filings.
- Misdirected Emails: OpenAI revealed that Apple's outside lawyers emailed the wrong person due to a mix-up of two Asian last names, an error Apple admitted after OpenAI brought it to their attention.
- Lack of Specificity: OpenAI claims Apple "never raised the specific allegations in this lawsuit at that time" and had previously indicated they were "resolving any issues," before suing five months later without further contact.
The AI firm also released internal emails and iMessage conversations involving former Apple engineer Chang Liu. These communications, according to OpenAI, show that Apple employees had reached out to Liu "and asked for his help to locate this information," implying Apple was seeking its own information rather than it being taken by OpenAI.
OpenAI maintains that its policies strictly prohibit the use of any other company's proprietary data and that former Apple employees now at OpenAI did not bring trade secrets with them.