OpenAI has publicly criticized Apple's lawsuit accusing the company of using its trade secrets, calling the legal action "careless, aggressive and oddly personal" in a blog post titled "Apple is getting this wrong."
The dispute began when Apple alleged that two former Apple employees who joined OpenAI took confidential information with them. Apple sought a preliminary injunction to prevent the employees and OpenAI from accessing this information.
OpenAI disputes Apple's account of events, noting that the initial contact from Apple's lawyers was directed to the wrong person due to a mix-up of names. The company also states that Apple conceded it never spoke with OpenAI's General Counsel, contrary to its claims.
Regarding one of the former employees, Chang Liu, OpenAI asserts that Apple's accusation of Liu attempting to access confidential information after leaving is unsubstantiated. OpenAI provided text messages allegedly showing Apple employees asking Liu for assistance in locating files, suggesting the issue lies with Apple's internal system access management for departing staff.
For the other employee, Tang Tan, OpenAI claims no evidence of wrongdoing exists. OpenAI stated that Tan had always been transparent with the team about not wanting or using confidential information from other companies.
OpenAI argues that the preliminary injunction is unnecessary and based on false information, as the company states it has no interest in Apple's trade secrets. The AI company expressed a preference for resolving the matter through direct communication before legal action, stating, "We wish Apple had raised these issues with us before they filed their lawsuit and would have been happy to clarify all of this with them."
Apple has not yet publicly responded to OpenAI's blog post. Historically, Apple tends to avoid public discussions about ongoing legal cases. OpenAI's public statement is seen as an attempt to rally public support and apply pressure on Apple to address the allegations.