Elon Musk's xAI Sues OpenAI Over Alleged Trade Secret Theft
Elon Musk's AI venture, xAI, has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. The suit alleges that OpenAI targeted former xAI employees to gain access to trade secrets, marking another legal dispute between Musk and his former partner, Sam Altman.
The lawsuit, filed on 23rd September, highlights the involvement of former xAI engineer Xuechen Li and two other former employees in the alleged trade secret theft. Evidence includes emails showing attempts to recruit xAI staff. xAI accuses OpenAI of luring employees to secure an unfair edge in the AI race.
This case adds to Musk's ongoing legal disputes with OpenAI and Altman. Earlier this year, Musk sued OpenAI and Apple over alleged anti-competitive practices, including Apple's preference for ChatGPT in its App Store. Musk stated that the lawsuit against OpenAI became necessary after multiple warning letters failed to stop the alleged misconduct. xAI claims OpenAI targeted former xAI staff to access proprietary information, including source code and operational plans for xAI's chatbot, Grok.
The lawsuit against OpenAI is the latest development in the ongoing legal battles between Elon Musk and his former partners. The case will be heard in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.
