Apple files new claims in lawsuit over alleged data theft for OpenAI

In short: Apple says it found new evidence in its lawsuit claiming a former employee took confidential Apple information and used it to help OpenAI.

What happened

Apple has filed new court papers in its ongoing lawsuit against OpenAI. Apple claims former employee Chang Liu, who now works at OpenAI, took Apple “trade secrets,” meaning private company know-how that can give a business an advantage.

Apple says these new details came after Liu’s lawyers turned over his old Apple work laptop earlier this month. Apple alleges the laptop shows Liu used a confidential Apple circuit schematic, which is like a detailed blueprint for electronic parts, in work connected to OpenAI. Apple also claims Liu used a tool at OpenAI that shares a name with an internal Apple engineering app.

Apple further alleges that after Liu learned Apple was investigating him, he asked an OpenAI colleague, Yu-Ting Peng, to help destroy evidence in June. Apple told the court that the laptop is important because it believes evidence is being withheld or deleted, not because Apple is on a broad search for unrelated information.

OpenAI has previously defended Liu. It said he only accessed Apple files after leaving Apple to help former coworkers, and it argued this kind of leftover access can happen when companies do not fully shut off accounts. Apple has claimed Liu kept access by exploiting a rare, previously unknown login bug (a flaw that can act like a door that does not fully lock).

Why it matters

This case is a reminder that competition in AI is also a competition for people and information. If companies believe former employees are taking private plans or designs, it can lead to major lawsuits and could affect what products get built while courts sort it out.

Source: TechCrunch AI