OpenAI says it has seen no evidence supporting Apple’s trade secret theft claims

OpenAI has issued a new statement in reaction to Apple’s lawsuit accusing the company of trade secret theft. Here are the details.

OpenAI ‘not aware’ of evidence supporting Apple’s claims

Last Friday, Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the company and several former Apple employees of stealing confidential hardware information to advance OpenAI’s consumer-device ambitions.

Shortly after Apple filed its lawsuit, OpenAI’s Director of Strategic Communications, Drew Pusateri, took to X to comment on the company’s behalf.

In his post, he claimed OpenAI has “no interest in other companies’ trade secrets,” and added that OpenAI remains “focused on building innovative technology that empowers people everywhere.”

Now, as reported by Bloomberg, OpenAI has issued a new statement in reaction to the lawsuit:

“While we take these allegations seriously, we’re not aware of any evidence that this complaint has merit,” OpenAI said in the statement. “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.”

9to5Mac’s take

While OpenAI’s statement directly denies Apple’s allegations, it also appears to sidestep the substance of the complaint.

Apple is not arguing that former employees should be prevented from working for a competitor, something California law generally prohibits. Rather, it alleges that they took proprietary files, hardware information, and other confidential material with them when they left.

OpenAI has yet to present its side of the story in any detail or explain what steps, if any, it has taken internally. For now, the only substantive public account comes from Apple, whose complaint includes specific allegations, examples, and supporting documentation.

In the coming days, OpenAI is likely to file its response to Apple’s lawsuit, offering its first detailed legal rebuttal to the company’s allegations.

What’s your take on OpenAI’s new statement? Let us know in the comments.