OpenAI’s nothing statement on Apple’s lawsuit says nothing

OpenAI’s second official statement concerning Apple’s trade secret lawsuit says nothing and is so generic that only an AI could have generated a statement so bland and empty.

Apple has alleged that OpenAI systematically recruited Apple employees that could help funnel secret information from within the company. Two individuals were specifically named , Tang Yew Tan, and Chang Liu.

On Tuesday, Bloomberg shared OpenAI’s latest statement on the matter. It’s a little more official versus the first that was provided by OpenAI’s spokesperson Drew Pusateri previously, but also much safer.

Originally, Pusateri shared that OpenAI has “no interest in other companies’ trade secrets.” The new statement goes like this:

“While we take these allegations seriously, we’re not aware of any evidence that this complaint has merit. We believe in fair competition and allowing people the freedom to work wherever they choose, and we’re focused on building innovative technology that empowers people everywhere.”

While legally less sound, the first statement actually had something to say on the matter. The new one feels like it was churned out by ChatGPT itself, with no regard for the actual accusations being made.

The start of a big lawsuit

This isn’t some tiny case regarding a rogue employee, it’s Apple’s attempt to curb OpenAI’s hardware development plans that were set to debut a product in 2027. Ultimately, OpenAI wanted to build an iPhone killer, whether or not that will be a smartphone remains in question.

iPhone is becoming an AI powerhouse with or without OpenAI

OpenAI has poached something like 400 employees from Apple over the years, mostly through exorbitant pay packages. While this kind of churn is normal in the tech industry, the alleged backdoor practices are not.

The lawsuit suggests that OpenAI’s new Chief Hardware Officer Tan had been gathering confidential information about Apple’s supply chain. He also allegedly told employees leaving Apple to take unreleased components with them to OpenAI interviews.

One such individual was Chang Liu, who failed to return Apple-issued hardware, which was used to access confidential information.

If this is true, it goes beyond trade theft. It could also be seen as a conspiracy to obtain information and talent from a competitor, which could create problems for OpenAI, its executives, and others at the company.

What is particularly odd about OpenAI’s latest statement is its insistence that there isn’t evidence. It could have claimed it has no knowledge of trade theft, or that Apple’s claims didn’t have merit, but his specific wording seems odd given Apple’s insistence that there is evidence.

The case has only just been brought forward, so the back and forth will likely take years. Reports suggest that OpenAI is confident that the accusations and lawsuit won’t stop them from pursuing their existing product release timeline.

At least, they better hope it doesn’t, as OpenAI is running out of time to find a massive cash influx. The company could run out of cash by 2028 if something drastic doesn’t happen.