OpenAI pushed back hard this week against Apple’s trade secret lawsuit, calling the claims weak and unproven.

Before now, OpenAI remained silent, but on Tuesday, the company released a statement responding directly to Apple’s legal complaint.

“While we take these allegations seriously, we’re not aware of any evidence that this complaint has merit,” OpenAI said. Bloomberg reporter Ed Ludlow shared the statement first on X.

OpenAI also defended its hiring practices. “We believe in fair competition and allowing people the freedom to work wherever they choose,” the statement continued. 

OpenAI concluded that it remains focused on building helpful technology for everyday people.

This is the first time OpenAI has addressed the actual substance of the lawsuit. Right after Apple filed the case, OpenAI gave a shorter response. 

The company simply said it has no interest in other companies’ trade secrets.

Apple’s Lawsuit

Apple filed its complaint last Friday. The location was the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

The lawsuit runs 41 pages long. It accuses former Apple employees now working at OpenAI of teaming up to steal confidential information.

Tang Tan, who now serves as OpenAI’s chief hardware officer, had spent 24 years at Apple.

Tan held major roles during his time there. He served as vice president of product design for both the iPhone and Apple Watch. 

That kind of experience is highly significant and puts him at the forefront of company secrets. 

Apple says its own internal investigation found troubling evidence that OpenAI and its partners used Apple’s secrets to build new hardware.

Hardware

OpenAI bought Jony Ive’s startup, io, not long ago. Ive is the famous designer behind many classic Apple products. That deal caught attention. 

But looking back in hindsight, fingers are pointing towards the deal as a sign of a new project, which ties in with Apple’s allegations

Emerging details corroborate this. Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that OpenAI is developing a mobile smart speaker with no screen at all.

Sources familiar with the project describe it differently from a typical gadget. They call it a “humanlike AI companion.” 

The idea is for it to live in your home, almost like a helpful presence rather than just another device.

The speaker reportedly includes moving mechanical parts, a departure from static smart speakers already on the market.

Here’s where things get interesting for Apple. Several former Apple engineers are reportedly helping build this device. 

These aren’t random hires either, but were employees who worked directly on the iPhone and Mac at Apple.