Apple’s lawsuit with OpenAI over an alleged trade secret theft has taken yet another turn. A new report claimed that the communication between the two companies broke down because of an email mix-up. As per an NBC News report, Apple’s attempt to engage with OpenAI over the allegations ended after one of its lawyers reportedly contacted the wrong employee.
The report stated that Apple had reached out to OpenAI in February asking discussions over concerns that former Apple employees had taken confidential hardware information to support OpenAI’s device ambitions. While Apple’s lawsuit states that OpenAI has never responded to those concerns, NBC News claims the AI company did reply. However, the exchange reportedly stalled after Apple’s legal team confused the identities and email addresses of two OpenAI employees who shared the surnames Wang and Chang.
The lawsuit is based on Apple’s allegation that OpenAI benefited from confidential information brought by former Apple engineers now working on AI hardware projects. Apple claims that the information may have accelerated OpenAI’s effort to make consumer devices including the AI powered hardware expected to debut in coming years.
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OpenAI has denied any wrongdoing and maintains that the lawsuit lacks evidence. In a statement cited by Bloomberg, the company stated that it takes the allegations seriously but is unaware of any proof supporting Apple’s claims. It also defended the right of employees to change jobs, saying competition should not be restricted by where people choose to work.
Apple has named former executive Tang Yew Tan and former senior engineer Chang Liu among the defendants. According to the complaint, Liu allegedly retained a company laptop and later accessed Apple’s internal systems to download confidential hardware files. Apple also accuses Tang, now leading OpenAI’s hardware efforts, of sending himself supplier information and internal industry documents before leaving the company.
The complaint also argues that OpenAI hardware division has relied on former Apple talent, noting that hundreds of ex-Apple employees now work at the AI company. Apple insists that hiring former employees does not grant OpenAI the right to use confidential information in developing competing products.
The case also names io Products, the AI hardware startup acquired by OpenAI last year, as a defendant, though its co-founder Jony Ive has not been personally named in the lawsuit.