tech

OpenAI is breaking Silicon Valley's unwritten code. That's why Apple is so angry.

OpenAI is defying Silicon Valley's oldest playbook, helping explain why Apple is fighting so hard.

OpenAI is breaking Silicon Valley's unwritten code. That's why Apple is so angry.

TL;DR

  • Silicon Valley startups traditionally operate within a system where they solve niche problems, get acquired, or serve as partners to Big Tech companies.
  • OpenAI is disrupting this model by directly competing for top talent, poaching hundreds of employees from major companies like Apple.
  • This aggressive talent acquisition and OpenAI's ambition to challenge core products like the iPhone are unprecedented and upsetting to established players.
  • Apple's lawsuit against OpenAI stems from this disruption, as the AI startup refuses to follow the unwritten rules of the industry.
  • OpenAI's substantial funding makes it difficult for companies like Apple to simply acquire or subsume the startup, intensifying the conflict.