OpenAI calls Apple's trade secrets lawsuit 'rotten to its core'

Apple filed its lawsuit in July as one of the few major tech firms to publicly challenge an AI company over trade secret theft tied to employee recruitment. The case centers on former Apple staff, particularly Chang Liu, who allegedly downloaded confidential files after joining OpenAI to support the startup's hardware ambitions. Apple's legal position rests on the claim that this constitutes misappropriation of trade secrets and reflects a breach of employee duties.

OpenAI's response has been forceful. Beyond the dismissal motion filed yesterday, the company published a blog post on Tuesday titled "Apple is getting this wrong," characterizing the lawsuit as "careless, aggressive, and oddly personal." In the formal motion, OpenAI argues that Apple has failed to investigate properly, cherry-picked communications, and miscast ordinary hiring and product development as theft. OpenAI further contends that Apple made no reasonable efforts to keep the information truly secret, and that the documents in question are generic product development materials rather than genuine trade secrets. The company also frames Apple's lawsuit as retaliation for losing talent to a competitor, stating: "Apple should not be permitted to use a baseless and pretextual lawsuit to make up for its shortcomings in the market for talent and retaining its employees, and its failures to integrate AI into its products."