Apple has sued OpenAI, accusing the AI company and former Apple hardware executive Tang Tan of stealing trade secrets related to unreleased products. The lawsuit alleges OpenAI encouraged employees to share confidential information while building its own hardware ecosystem. OpenAI denied the allegations, saying it has no interest in competitors’ trade secrets

Apple has filed a law, suit against OpenAI, accusing the artificial intelligence company of engaging in a coordinated effort to steal confidential information and trade secrets related to Apple’s upcoming products and hardware initiatives, Bloomberg reported.

The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of California, alleges that OpenAI encouraged Apple employees to share sensitive materials, including product details, engineering documents, designs and technical information, as the AI firm works to develop its own range of hardware devices.

Apple has also named Tang Tan, OpenAI’s chief hardware officer, as a defendant. Tan previously served as Apple’s vice president of product design, where he was involved in the development of major products including the iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods.

OpenAI rejected the allegations, saying the company does not seek trade secrets belonging to other organisations. A spokesperson said OpenAI remains focused on developing technology that benefits users globally.