OpenAI has responded more directly to Apple’s trade secret lawsuit, saying it sees no evidence the complaint has any merit. The statement, first shared by Bloomberg reporter Ed Ludlow on X, marks the first time OpenAI has addressed the substance of the case rather than just Apple’s general allegations.
“While we take these allegations seriously, we’re not aware of any evidence that this complaint has merit,” OpenAI said. “We believe in fair competition and allowing people the freedom to work wherever they choose, and we’re focused on building innovative technology that empowers people everywhere.”
As TechCrunch reported, this follows Apple filing a 41-page lawsuit last Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Apple claims that former Apple employees who joined OpenAI carried out a coordinated effort to take confidential information and intellectual property with them.
The lawsuit names OpenAI’s Chief Hardware Officer Tang Tan as one of the key figures. Tan spent 24 years at Apple, where he held senior positions including vice president of product design for the iPhone and Apple Watch. Apple’s internal investigation, according to the complaint, turned up evidence that OpenAI and its partners used the company’s confidential information while developing their own hardware product.
This broader context matters. OpenAI is widely believed to be building a consumer device that could go head-to-head with Apple in the hardware space. Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that the company is working on a screen-free mobile smart speaker described by insiders as a “humanlike AI companion” meant to live in the home. The device reportedly includes moving mechanical elements and has been built with significant input from former Apple engineers who worked on the iPhone and Mac.
OpenAI’s acquisition of Jony Ive’s startup io has only added fuel to that speculation. Ive, of course, is the designer behind some of Apple’s most iconic products, and his involvement signals that OpenAI is serious about competing in physical hardware, not just software.
That competitive backdrop makes the timing of Apple’s lawsuit hard to ignore. A few things stand out:
- Apple filed suit just as OpenAI’s hardware ambitions are becoming clearer
- Several former Apple engineers are reportedly involved in building the new device
- Tang Tan, now OpenAI’s top hardware executive, had access to Apple’s most sensitive product development for over two decades
OpenAI’s first statement, issued hours after Apple filed, was deliberately vague, simply saying the company has “no interest in other companies’ trade secrets.” Tuesday’s statement goes slightly further by calling the allegations meritless, but it still stops short of addressing any specific claims in the complaint.
The case will play out in federal court, and neither side is likely to say much publicly while it does. TechCrunch has reached out to OpenAI for further comment.
