Apple Sues OpenAI for Allegedly Stealing Trade Secrets Through Former Employees

Apple has filed a federal lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the artificial intelligence company of orchestrating a pattern of trade secret theft through the recruitment of former Apple employees. The complaint names two senior ex-Apple workers and Jony Ive's design startup io Products, which OpenAI acquired in a £6.4 billion transaction last year. The legal action signals a dramatic breakdown in the relationship between Apple and OpenAI, which had partnered to integrate ChatGPT into Apple devices less than a year earlier.

Details of the Allegations

Apple's complaint, filed on Friday in federal court, alleges that OpenAI deliberately employed a strategy to extract confidential information about unreleased products, manufacturing techniques, and supplier relationships. According to Apple's filing, the two named defendants—Chang Liu, a senior electrical engineer who spent eight years at Apple, and Tang Yew Tan, a former vice president of design for iPhone and Apple Watch with 24 years of service—transferred sensitive material after joining OpenAI.

Apple claims that Tan, now OpenAI's chief hardware officer, directed job candidates still employed at Apple to bring "actual parts" from the company to interviews for demonstration purposes. The lawsuit describes this as a mechanism to extract further confidential information during recruitment conversations. Additionally, at least one employee allegedly emailed themselves internal Apple information before departing the company.

The Relationship Reversal

The lawsuit represents a dramatic shift in the partnership between the two companies. In 2024, Apple announced a major integration deal that saw ChatGPT embedded into the operating systems powering iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers. However, when Apple revealed its redesigned voice assistant Siri last month, the underlying artificial intelligence relied on Google's Gemini model rather than ChatGPT—a decision that may reflect growing tensions between the firms.

OpenAI's expansion into hardware, particularly through the acquisition of io Products founded by long-time Apple design executive Jony Ive, appears to have accelerated concerns at Apple. In its complaint, Apple characterizes OpenAI's hardware ambitions as "rotten to its core by its illegal reliance on misappropriated trade secrets."

OpenAI's Response

OpenAI spokesman Drew Pusateri stated the company is reviewing Apple's complaint and denied the accusations. "We have no interest in other companies' trade secrets," Pusateri said. "We remain focused on building innovative technology that empowers people everywhere." The statement did not address specific allegations regarding the conduct of its employees or recruitment practices.