OpenAI counters Apple's trade secret lawsuit: using litigation to hinder AI hardware competition, while having vulnerabilities in its own information management

According to TechCrunch, OpenAI is fighting back against Apple's lawsuit regarding the leak of trade secrets, stating that Apple itself has vulnerabilities in its information security management and employee departure processes, and cannot prove that the relevant information is protected trade secrets.

Apple previously accused OpenAI of obtaining hardware-related secrets through former employees who left Apple and requested the court to expedite the evidence investigation. In the latest legal documents submitted, OpenAI stated that Apple allows employees to use personal iCloud accounts to handle work materials and did not promptly revoke access after employees left. OpenAI claimed that Apple did not specify the exact trade secrets that were allegedly stolen, but only referred generally to information such as product development processes, supply chains, and testing.

OpenAI believes that Apple's lawsuit is more about restricting its development in the AI hardware field and denies that the company needs or uses Apple's trade secrets. The focus of the dispute between the two parties centers on employee mobility, intellectual property protection, and competition in the AI hardware sector.