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OpenAI pushed back Tuesday against allegations made by Apple in a trade secret lawsuit<\/a>, suggesting the complaint lacks merit. <\/p>\n \u201cWhile we take these allegations seriously, we\u2019re not aware of any evidence that this complaint has merit,\u201d OpenAI said in a statement, first shared by<\/a> Bloomberg reporter Ed Ludlow on X. \u201cWe believe in fair competition and allowing people the freedom to work wherever they choose, and we\u2019re focused on building innovative technology that empowers people everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n The statement comes several days since Apple filed a lawsuit against the AI lab, alleging that OpenAI employees, who previously worked at the iPhone maker, engaged in a coordinated effort to obtain confidential information and intellectual property. The 41-page complaint, filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, contains a string of allegations<\/a> against OpenAI leadership, including Chief Hardware Officer Tang Tan. Before joining OpenAI, Tan was a veteran at Apple, where he worked for 24 years and held top positions, including vice president of product design for the iPhone and Apple Watch. <\/p>\n This is the first time OpenAI commented on the case itself. In its initial statement hours after Apple filed its lawsuit, it proclaimed a lack of interest in technology developed by other companies telling TechCrunch: \u201cWe have no interest in other companies\u2019 trade secrets. We remain focused on building innovative technology that empowers people everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n Apple claims in its lawsuit that its internal investigation uncovered evidence that OpenAI and its partners used the company\u2019s confidential information as it develops its own hardware product.<\/p>\n Reports, along with OpenAI\u2019s recent acquisition of Jony Ive\u2019s startup io, suggest the company is working on a device that could directly compete with Apple\u2019s business. Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that OpenAI is working on a mobile, screen-free smart speaker<\/a>.<\/p>\n TechCrunch has reached out to OpenAI for further comment and will update this article when the company responds. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n