Apple asks judge to slam breaks on OpenAIs hardware ambitions, latest twist in high-stakes suit

Apple has asked a federal judge to slam the brakes on OpenAI’s hardware ambitions, leading the ChatGPT maker to fire back that the iPhone giant’s own lawyers couldn’t even email the right Asian executiveThe Cupertino, Calif.-based behemoth sought a preliminary injunction late Monday barring OpenAI and two former Apple staffers from accessing, using or sharing what it claims are stolen trade secrets, warning the court it faces irreparable harm without one.Hours later, OpenAI hit back with a blistering blog post that branded the suit “careless, aggressive and oddly personal” — and accused Tim Cook’s Apple of botching basic facts.Apple had claimed it warned OpenAI about the alleged theft in February and heard nothing back.Those charges were denied by the Sam Altman-led firm.OpenAI said Apple now admits its outside lawyers emailed the wrong man after mixing up two Asian surnames and the company only came clean once the artificial intelligence giant pointed out the blunder.“Apple had claimed that they contacted OpenAI in February and that we didn’t respond.

They now admit that their outside lawyers emailed the wrong person after confusing two Asian last names — only after we brought this to their attention,” OpenAI said.Emails published by the company show Weil, Gotshal & Manges partner Gabriel Gross sent his warning letter to OpenAI general counsel Che Chang instead of a former Apple employee surnamed Wang.Gross also thanked Chang for a phone call that OpenAI says never took place, which is a claim it says Apple has since walked back.A baffled Chang forwarded the note to Apple’s in-house lawyers, writing that he had never spoken to Gross and did not know who he was.Gross later apologized for the mix-up and said Wang had offered to cooperate.Then, OpenAI said, Apple went silent for five months — until the iPhone maker sued.Apple filed its bombshell complaint July 10 in the Northern District of California, accusing OpenAI of running a mont...