Elon Musk has once again taken a jab at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, igniting a long-running rivalry between the tech manufacturers.
The criticism comes after Apple filed a lawsuit accusing OpenAI of stealing trade secrets.
While responding to reports of the lawsuit on social media, Musk wrote, “Scam Altman strikes again…”, reviving a nickname he has repeatedly used while criticizing OpenAI's CEO.
Musk left OpenAI's board in 2018 and later launched his own artificial intelligence company, xAI, to compete in the rapidly growing AI industry.
Elon Musk and Sam Altman’s long-running rivalry
For those unaware, Musk and Altman co-founded OpenAI in 2015, but their relationship has deteriorated over the years following disagreements about the company's direction.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO has been engaged in a legal battle with OpenAI since 2024, alleging that the organization abandoned its original nonprofit mission by transitioning to a for-profit model.
Although the jury has officially ruled against the tech trillionaire a few months ago, he has maintained that he will appeal the decision.
Apple accuses OpenAI of trade secret theft
The Cupertino-based tech giant has filed the lawsuit in the US District of California, alleging that OpenAI and two former Apple employees, Chang Liu and Tang Tan, misused confidential company information.
As per the complaint, Tang Tan, a former Apple vice president of product design, allegedly used internal project code names during the hiring procedure for the ChatGPT manufacturer’s hardware division and encouraged candidates to bring Apple components to interviews.
Moreover, Apple claimed that Chang Liu retained a company laptop after leaving and accessed confidential documents related to unreleased products.
OpenAI denies accusations
Apple says it raised its concerns with OpenAI in February but received no response. The company is seeking a court order to prevent OpenAI from using its alleged trade secrets, return any confidential materials, and preserve relevant evidence.
It is important to note that OpenAI has refused all the accusations, setting the stage for what could become another closely watched legal battle in the technology industry.
