Last Friday, Apple initiated a trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI, and it’s taking this matter seriously. The lawsuit points to a continuous pattern of misconduct reaching up to OpenAI’s chief hardware officer and asserts that over 400 former Apple employees are now part of the company. OpenAI has thus far offered a cautious response, and the timing is particularly challenging with reports suggesting the company is considering an IPO as soon as later this year.

In this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, hosts Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Sean O’Kane explore the implications of the lawsuit for OpenAI’s hardware goals and IPO schedule, along with a broader topic that’s been prevalent in the news this week: how much should people really trust AI firms with their data?

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