Apple(US:AAPL) Sou Hu Cai Jing·2025-09-01 01:45Core Points - xAI, a company owned by Elon Musk, has filed a lawsuit against former employee Xuechen Li for allegedly stealing core trade secrets before joining OpenAI, claiming that these secrets include "more advanced AI technology than ChatGPT" which could save competitors billions in research costs and years of development time [1][12] Group 1: Lawsuit Details - The lawsuit states that Xuechen Li sold $7 million worth of xAI stock and suspicious activities were detected in his account on the same day the cash was received, including the copying and transferring of key documents [3] - During an internal meeting on August 14, Li admitted to taking data but attempted to cover his tracks by deleting browsing history and logs, indicating a systematic transfer rather than a one-time incident [3][10] - xAI is seeking a court order to prevent Li from working at OpenAI and is demanding compensation for the alleged theft of trade secrets [13] Group 2: Background on Xuechen Li - Xuechen Li, a Chinese national with a PhD from Stanford, joined xAI in early 2024 and was one of about 20 engineers working on the Grok model, giving him access to significant core materials [7] - Prior to his resignation on July 28, Li had already accepted a position at OpenAI, which he was set to start on August 19, and he signed documents promising to return company assets and maintain confidentiality [10] Group 3: Industry Context - This lawsuit highlights the intense competition for AI talent among major companies like Meta, Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI, with some contracts reportedly reaching nine figures [14] - The case reflects the ongoing rivalry between Musk's xAI and OpenAI, with Musk previously suing OpenAI for deviating from its original mission to benefit humanity [16] - The situation underscores the broader implications of trade secret theft in the tech industry, particularly in the context of U.S.-China relations and competition in advanced technologies [31]