Fastcompany iconFastcompanyAug 7, 2026 ~1 min source read

OpenAI wants to be the underdog against Apple. That won’t be easy

It's an understandable strategy, but making that image stick won't be easy. The root of the dispute is OpenAI's plan to develop its own AI-centric devices.

OpenAI wants to be the underdog against Apple. That won’t be easy

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It's an understandable strategy, but making that image stick won't be easy.

The root of the dispute is OpenAI's plan to develop its own AI-centric devices.

This has quickly morphed into a battle in the court of public opinion—and that battle has high-stakes implications for both brands.

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The useful part

It's an understandable strategy, but making that image stick won't be easy. The root of the dispute is OpenAI's plan to develop its own AI-centric devices. This has quickly morphed into a battle in the court of public opinion—and that battle has high-stakes implications for both brands.

How it works

  • Most notably, in a snarky blog post this week, OpenAI mocked Apple and its lawyers for a "careless, aggressive and oddly personal lawsuit," sharing texts and email excerpts seeming to show Apple's outside...
  • "We do not have, nor want, any of their trade secrets," OpenAI's post zings.

Example or evidence

  • "We're much more interested in building innovative products and technologies that push the frontier." The core accusation of Apple's snarling brief is that key ex-Apple employees, among the hundreds who...

Details worth keeping

Last month Apple sued OpenAI, alleging that it has stolen trade secrets.

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