Apple sues OpenAI over alleged hardware theft, notifies 40 ex-staff
Apple just sent legal notices to 40 former staffers who now work at OpenAI, asking them to hang onto anything related to their time and exit from Apple.
This follows a fresh lawsuit against OpenAI, io Products, and two ex-Apple engineers, Chang Liu and Tang Tan, alleging they stole secret hardware designs.
It's a big deal because Apple claims these leaks could threaten OpenAI's whole hardware division.
Former staffers told to preserve files
The legal letters mean those 40 people must keep all relevant files until the lawsuit moves forward, but none of them are actually named as defendants.
Apple says its evidence is "tip of the iceberg." Meanwhile, OpenAI flatly denies wanting anything to do with Apple's designs.
With an IPO on the horizon and Apple switching its AI assistant partnership from OpenAI to Google, things are definitely tense, but both companies are keeping quiet for now.