Apple has launched a sweeping legal battle accusing OpenAI of misappropriating confidential hardware technology. The iPhone maker argues that the AI company behind ChatGPT built its consumer hardware ambitions by recruiting key Apple engineers and gaining access to proprietary design information.
The lawsuit centers on io Products, the AI hardware startup founded by legendary former Apple designer Jony Ive before it was acquired by OpenAI, as well as former Apple executives Tang Tan and engineer Chang Liu.
The case has quickly become one of the highest-profile intellectual property disputes in the technology industry.
Bring physical prototypes
One of the central figures in the lawsuit is Tang Tan, a former vice president who worked at Apple for 24 years and oversaw the industrial design of flagship products, including the iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods.
