Apple has accused OpenAI of gaining access to valuable inside information by hiring its former employees.

In a federal lawsuit filed Friday, Apple sued the artificial intelligence (AI) company, two of its employees, as well as io Products, alleging that it has engaged in “a pattern of theft” of confidential Apple product development and related work.

At least two former Apple workers who left the company to join OpenAI allegedly participated in this pattern, in part by emailing each other internal Apple information.

OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri told the BBC: “We have no interest in other companies’ trade secrets.”

Pusateri added that the company, which is currently reviewing Apple’s complaint, is “focused on building innovative technology that empowers people everywhere.”

An Apple spokesperson told the BBC that the lawsuit is the result of “significant evidence.”

It represents a major change in relations between Apple and OpenAI, creator of the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT.

Tim Cook, Apple’s outgoing CEO, had added ChatGPT to Apple devices because the company was looking to offer more artificial intelligence features.

This year, Apple shifted more AI features to run on Google’s Gemini model and tools.

However, when Cook revealed in April that he was resigning, Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, publicly praised him as “a legend” and added that he was “very grateful for everything he has done.”

Now, Apple is accusing OpenAI of undertaking a “strategy to extract confidential information from Apple.”

Along with OpenAI, Apple is suing io Products, the design startup founded by Jony Ive, a long-time Apple executive. OpenAI acquired the company last year.

He is also suing Chang Liu, a senior electrical engineer who worked at Apple for eight years, and Tang Yew Tan, vice president of iPhone and Apple Watch design who spent 24 years at the company. Tan is now the director of hardware at OpenAI.

Through these former employees and their access to “sensitive projects, relationships with trusted partners, proprietary manufacturing techniques, and unreleased products,” Apple claims that OpenAI has been able to obtain details of their product plans and operations.

Apple added that when OpenAI interviews current Apple employees for potential jobs, the company supposedly tries to extract more information from them.

OpenAI interviewers have reportedly told potential employees to “bring ‘real parts’ as Apple ‘accessories’ for ‘show and tell'” during their interview.

Apple accused all parties it was suing of “acting in concert and as a company, exploiting Apple’s confidential information to advance OpenAI’s efforts to enter the consumer hardware market.”

OpenAI is expected to launch its first hardware product this month, a type of keyboard that will be used with its artificial intelligence tools.

It also plans to become a publicly traded company.

Apple said in its lawsuit that because OpenAI’s “misconduct is normalized and exemplified by leadership,” its “nascent hardware business now rests on the shakiest of foundations, rotten to the core by its unlawful reliance on misappropriated trade secrets.”

The company also said it had attempted to discuss its concerns with OpenAI in February, but was ultimately ignored.

Apple has asked the court to immediately prohibit OpenAI from obtaining or using any alleged confidential information and is seeking unspecified monetary damages.