Apple has filed a 41-page complaint against OpenAI, accusing the AI model maker of stealing trade secrets and engaging in a culture of misconduct. The lawsuit alleges that OpenAI employees joked about accessing Apple's systems and directed job candidates to bring Apple hardware to interviews. According to the complaint, OpenAI's former employees, including Chang Liu, a senior systems electrical engineer, accessed Apple's systems by exploiting an authentication bug. Liu allegedly sent a message to an Apple employee saying 'LOL, I found out I can access the [network storage], so funny,' and later texted 'I still have another computer,' referring to another Apple computer he planned to use to access Apple's confidential information. OpenAI's Chief Hardware Officer, Tang Yew Tan, who spent 24 years at Apple, allegedly directed job candidates to bring 'actual parts' from Apple to their interviews at OpenAI for 'show and tell sessions.' The lawsuit claims that misconduct like this is part of OpenAI's culture and is led from the top.
Apple's complaint also alleges that OpenAI coached departing Apple employees on how to evade Apple's security procedures to reduce the chance their alleged trade secret theft would be caught. The company is seeking damages and an injunction to prevent OpenAI from using the stolen trade secrets. The lawsuit has sparked concern about the potential for trade secret theft in the tech industry and the need for stronger security measures.