On Monday (local time), Apple submitted an application for a preliminary injunction to a U.S. court, aiming to prohibit two ex-employees and OpenAI from acquiring, accessing, using, or disclosing its confidential information, and to push forward its lawsuit concerning trade secret infringement. Last month, Apple had already initiated legal proceedings against OpenAI and two former employees who had transitioned to OpenAI, alleging that they had improperly appropriated trade secrets to bolster OpenAI's consumer hardware division. This time around, Apple has also requested an expedited discovery process, mandating that pertinent individuals and corporate representatives undergo pre-trial depositions. Apple has asserted that it would face irreparable damage if the injunction is not granted. In response, OpenAI stated that the application is predicated on misinformation and is unnecessary, highlighting that it neither possesses nor desires to possess Apple's trade secrets. This legal dispute signals an impending direct clash between the two entities in the AI hardware domain, with certain analysts speculating that OpenAI is in the process of developing smartphones or other consumer hardware offerings.