OpenAI Calls Apple's Trade Secrets Lawsuit 'Rotten To Its Core,' Seeks Court Dismissal

OpenAI has asked a US federal judge to dismiss Apple's trade secrets lawsuit, calling the iPhone maker's allegations meritless and accusing it of filing a case without proper investigation.

According to a Bloomberg report, OpenAI said in a court filing that Apple's complaint was "plainly filed without adequate investigation" and built on communications taken out of context. The company described the lawsuit as "rotten to its core" and argued that Apple was attempting to use a "baseless and pretextual lawsuit" to make up for its shortcomings in attracting and retaining talent.

The filing marks the latest escalation in the legal battle between the two companies, which have worked together to integrate ChatGPT into Apple's devices but have seen their relationship deteriorate in recent months.

OpenAI Rejects Apple's Allegations

OpenAI argued that Apple's lawsuit wrongly portrays the actions of its employees and routine recruitment practices as theft of trade secrets.

According to the report, the AI company said its chief hardware officer, Tang Tan, followed standard industry hiring practices while interviewing Apple employees. It also defended former Apple engineer Chang Liu, saying he was trying to help former colleagues at Apple's request rather than stealing confidential information.

Apple alleged in its lawsuit, filed in July, that OpenAI orchestrated a campaign to obtain trade secrets by recruiting Apple employees and gaining access to confidential hardware-related information.

Apple Seeks Injunction as Legal Fight Deepens

The latest filing came a day after Apple asked the court to issue a preliminary injunction preventing OpenAI from using what it claims are stolen trade secrets and requiring the company to return any confidential information while the lawsuit is pending.

According to the news agency, OpenAI has until August 17 to respond to Apple's request for the injunction. A hearing on the matter has been scheduled for October 1.

The dispute has emerged despite the companies' collaboration on Apple Intelligence and Siri, both of which use OpenAI's technology. Relations have reportedly become strained over the past year, particularly after OpenAI hired former Apple design chief Jony Ive to help develop AI-powered hardware. Apple has also alleged that OpenAI hired more than 400 of its former employees.