
Minitap claims Google Artemis copied mobile-use code
Nicolas Dehandschoewercker, CEO of AI QA startup Minitap, revealed that Google's mobile automation project Artemis copied substantial code, prompts, and examples from Minitap's open-source mobile-use repository without attribution. Git history shows Minitap engineers were originally listed in pyproject.toml before a force push removed their names, with identical ADB tunneling logic, agent prompts, and implementation bugs carried over into Artemis.
Careless copying and scrubbing of contributor names from open-source repositories harms the developer trust that collaborative software relies on. Key architectural elements in Artemis—including ADB tunnel management, agent system prompts, and example scripts—match Minitap's mobile-use repository line-by-line. Commit records showing Minitap engineers originally listed in pyproject.toml before being force-pushed out demonstrate active attribution removal rather than accidental omission. For a company with a foundational open-source legacy spanning Kubernetes and Chromium, failing basic attribution hygiene on derivative work significantly damages developer goodwill.
DISCOVERED
1h ago
2026-09-12
PUBLISHED
3h ago
2026-09-12
RELEVANCE
AUTHOR
MysteryPancake