Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the artificial intelligence company of stealing confidential information to help develop its own consumer hardware. The case, filed in federal court in Northern California, alleges that OpenAI obtained Apple trade secrets through former employees and used the information in its hardware efforts.
According to the complaint, Apple claims OpenAI’s hardware chief, former Apple executive Tang Tan, encouraged job candidates to share confidential details and even bring Apple components to interviews. The company also alleges that departing employees were coached on how to avoid Apple’s security procedures. Another former employee, Chang Liu, is accused of taking an Apple laptop before joining OpenAI. Apple is seeking financial damages, court orders to stop the alleged use of its trade secrets, and other legal remedies.
The lawsuit marks a sharp turn in the relationship between the two companies. Apple and OpenAI partnered in 2024 to bring ChatGPT to the iPhone, but tensions reportedly grew after OpenAI acquired former Apple designer Jony Ive’s startup to expand into AI hardware. Apple has also since chosen Google’s Gemini models to power the next version of Siri instead of OpenAI’s technology.
OpenAI denied the allegations, saying it has no interest in using another company’s trade secrets and remains focused on developing its own products. The lawsuit adds to the legal challenges facing the AI company as it prepares for a widely anticipated public offering.
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