Apple Sues 40 of its Former Employees at OpenAI via a Mass Lawsuit!

Apple is reportedly expanding its legal attack aggressively against OpenAI. (photo: x @HedgieMarkets)

JAKARTA - Technology giant Apple is reportedly expanding its legal attack aggressively against OpenAI. This legal step was taken in relation to the alleged theft of the company's hardware design.

According to the latest report, Apple's lawsuit against OpenAI is now entering a new phase with the sending of formal evidence preservation letters to about 40 of its former employees who have now crossed over.

The official notification requires employees to freeze and secure all communications, electronic documents, and device data deemed relevant. This indicates that Apple's internal investigation is much more in-depth than the initial lawsuit they filed in court.

Ice Mountain from a Big Scandal

The latest information on this dispute was first reported by the Financial Times. This aggressive legal action is a continuation of Apple's lawsuit against OpenAI filed last week. The iPhone manufacturer accused of a structured campaign that was neatly coordinated to steal their best talent. Not only that, OpenAI was also accused of deliberately digging up confidential trade secrets related to manufacturing processes and consumer hardware techniques.

According to Apple's legal team, there are currently more than 400 former employees working under the OpenAI banner. The Steve Jobs-founded company openly stated in its complaint that the successful violations revealed so far are only a small part of the real "iceberg" phenomenon.

The essence of this initial lawsuit specifically targets two high-level defectors. They are Tang Tan, who currently serves as Chief Hardware Officer at OpenAI and a 24-year veteran at Apple who once led product design. The second figure is Chang Liu, a former senior system electrical engineer who now strengthens OpenAI's hardware team.

"Show and Tell"

In its complaint, Apple accused Tang Tan of actively recruiting its staff. In fact, Tan is suspected of encouraging prospective employees to study confidential company materials before they undergo a job interview session.

In addition, the material in Apple's lawsuit against OpenAI also revealed a secret session titled "show and tell" at the OpenAI office. In the session, the new technicians are suspected of showing off Apple's stolen prototype and design layout. This daring move is allegedly carried out in order to accelerate the development of internal technology at OpenAI.

OpenAI Denies Hard Fork

This legal notice targeting 40 employees actually has a dual function. In addition to preparing a strong foundation for legal discovery requests ahead of the trial, this letter is also a stern warning to other defectors that Apple is closely monitoring their every move.

Currently, Apple is seeking unspecified financial damages. They are also seeking a formal court order to block OpenAI from using Apple's proprietary information in the development of an unannounced AI device.

On the other hand, OpenAI finally gave an official response for the first time regarding this serious accusation. In its official statement, the artificial intelligence company strongly denied all of Apple's claims. They stated that they had found no evidence that the complaint had a strong basis.

OpenAI also defended their hiring practices by emphasizing their belief in fair market competition. For them, every professional should have full freedom to work wherever they choose, regardless of ongoing legal disputes.