- Silicon Valley's usual disruption playbook involves engineers leaving Big Tech to start small startups, which often become suppliers or get acquired, reinforcing the dominance of existing giants.
- OpenAI defies this pattern by aggressively hiring senior talent from companies like Apple, with over 400 Apple employees now at OpenAI, including top executives like Jony Ive.
- OpenAI poses a direct threat to Apple by aiming to challenge or replace the iPhone as the key device in the AI era, rather than just solving niche technical problems.
- The startup is too large and well-funded to be easily acquired or controlled, with over $100 billion in funding, making traditional Silicon Valley tactics ineffective.
- Historical parallels exist, such as Facebook's refusal to follow industry hiring rules and its successful challenge to Google, suggesting OpenAI might similarly disrupt the status quo.
- Apple's lawsuit reflects desperation as it faces unprecedented competition for talent and a potential paradigm shift in technology that threatens its core iPhone business.