Court filing alleges transfer of files
OpenAI has accused an employee who left the company to join Apple of sending more than 100 files about an unreleased product to a personal account and subsequently presenting the material to senior Apple leadership, according to a new filing in US federal court. The allegation appears in litigation between the ChatGPT maker and Apple in San Jose, California.
The filing, filed in federal court in San Jose, says the presentation to Apple executives occurred months ago. OpenAI says the files related to an unreleased product and that the former employee transferred them after departing the company for Apple.
The emergence of the new allegation came hours before the two companies were due to appear in court and prompted a delay in the scheduled hearing. The dispute between the firms has been playing out in filings and pretrial proceedings.
OpenAI also pointed to Apple's recent product activity in the filing, citing the release this week of a product called HomeView as evidence that Apple is developing its own AI offerings. The company argued the briefing and the subsequent product release were relevant to the litigation.
The case remains active in federal court as the parties continue to exchange filings. The new allegations add a fresh element to the dispute over alleged sharing of confidential materials and the development of competing AI products.