Facebook Accused of Trade Secrets Violations by AI Startup

Facebook Inc. allegedly published the proprietary algorithms of NeuralMagic Inc. after hiring the artificial intelligence startup’s “first employee” in 2019, according to a complaint filed in the District of Massachusetts.

The lawsuit stems from Facebook’s alleged decision to publish on a free, open-source software platform algorithms allowing AI to run more efficiently on standard computers. According to NeuralMagic, these algorithms, which can “help bring AI to the masses” by reducing the need for specialized hardware, are proprietary trade secrets that Facebook obtained when it hired NeuralMagic alum Aleksandar Zlateski in 2019.

NeuralMagic’s complaint, filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court ...