In a highly publicized legal battle, OpenAI has filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk's xAI, accusing it of intentionally using ephemeral communication tools to destroy critical evidence related to the litigation. The case focuses on xAI's antitrust lawsuit, in which it claims that OpenAI and Apple have colluded to hinder market competition, with damages sought amounting to billions of dollars.

According to court documents submitted by OpenAI, xAI failed to provide internal documents supporting its claims, as employees were instructed to use communication tools that automatically delete chat records. OpenAI stated that this practice was clearly intended to conceal important information related to the litigation, seriously undermining the fairness of the legal process. In the documents, OpenAI wrote: "Despite knowing that it would file a lawsuit, xAI still chose to use these tools to destroy communications, putting us at a significant disadvantage in the litigation."

Earlier in August last year, Musk's social media platform X and xAI jointly sued OpenAI and Apple, claiming that Apple's integration of ChatGPT into its operating system had harmed other competitors, including Musk's chatbot Grok. Both OpenAI and Apple have denied the allegations. A judge in Texas has ruled that the case can proceed.

Additionally, OpenAI mentioned that the long-standing conflict between Musk and its CEO Sam Altman might be a partial reason for Musk's legal action. Altman and Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015, but Musk left the board in 2018, leading to a tense relationship between the two.

To protect its legitimate rights, OpenAI has requested two rulings from the court: first, to require xAI and its employees to stop using ephemeral communication tools, and second, to ask the court to appoint a neutral legal expert to investigate the issue of evidence destruction, ensuring a fair ruling and appropriate accountability.