OpenAI has stated that the ability of former employees to access sensitive materials stems from security vulnerabilities within Apple's own systems.

Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI last month, accusing the company of stealing trade secrets. In response, OpenAI has issued a strong and comprehensive rebuttal. The organization published a blog post on Tuesday, describing the lawsuit as "hasty, aggressive, and tinged with an unusual personal resentment."

In the post, OpenAI systematically refuted multiple claims made in Apple's complaint. Apple alleged that its former employee, Chang Liu, deliberately took proprietary information when he joined OpenAI. However, OpenAI presented a completely different account: it argued that Liu, along with other former Apple employees, could still access relevant materials because Apple failed to "properly manage system access permissions when employees depart."

This type of security oversight was already thoroughly examined in a report by The Information on Monday. The related report noted that Apple encourages new employees to link their personal Apple IDs with their corporate digital identities. This practice often results in employees retaining access to work files stored on iCloud even after they have left the company. In some cases, Apple has used this lingering post-departure access as a basis to sue former employees.