Apple Alleges Coordinated Theft of Hardware Secrets
Apple Inc. has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that the artificial intelligence company engaged in a "coordinated pattern of misconduct at an institutional level" to steal trade secrets related to Apple's unreleased products. The lawsuit, filed in a California federal court, claims that OpenAI and its hardware chief orchestrated a campaign to acquire confidential information about upcoming Apple devices. Apple's complaint states that the misconduct was directed by OpenAI's senior leadership and involved a longtime former Apple employee.
The iPhone maker claims it began investigating potential compromises of its confidential information and "uncovered a pattern of theft" by former employees who subsequently joined OpenAI. Apple alleges that OpenAI encouraged its employees to share information, including showcasing parts of new devices, during hiring interviews. The lawsuit seeks damages and a court order to prevent OpenAI from possessing or using its trade secrets.
Key Figures Named in the Complaint
The lawsuit specifically names Tang Tan, OpenAI's Chief Hardware Officer and a former Apple Vice President, and Chang Liu, a former Apple electrical engineer, as defendants. Apple alleges that Tan, who previously led product design for the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods, directed a broad effort to steal Apple's trade secrets. The complaint claims Tan emailed himself information about Apple suppliers and internal industry summaries before his departure and encouraged job candidates still working for Apple to bring "actual parts" from Apple to their interviews at OpenAI for "show and tell" sessions.
Chang Liu, who left Apple in January 2026 to join OpenAI, is accused of failing to return an Apple-issued laptop and then using a "previously unknown" authentication bug to access Apple's internal systems. While working at OpenAI, Liu allegedly downloaded dozens of Apple's confidential hardware-related files, including detailed information about unreleased products, engineering presentations, technical specifications, and proprietary project data. Apple also claims Liu encouraged another Apple engineer interviewing at OpenAI to study confidential Apple materials and advised her on how to avoid detection while copying files.
A Frayed Partnership and OpenAI's Hardware Ambitions
This lawsuit marks a dramatic escalation in tensions between Apple and OpenAI, companies that had previously partnered in 2024 to integrate ChatGPT into Apple's products. However, that relationship has since deteriorated, with Apple showcasing its revamped Siri assistant last month, which now uses Google's Gemini AI model instead of ChatGPT. The lawsuit highlights OpenAI's growing ambitions in consumer hardware, an area where Apple alleges OpenAI's nascent business is "rotten to its core by its illegal reliance on misappropriated trade secrets."
OpenAI's push into hardware became evident last year when it acquired io Products Inc., a hardware startup co-founded by former Apple design guru Jony Ive, for $6.5 billion. While Ive is not named in the lawsuit, io Products is a defendant. OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri has stated that the company is reviewing the court filing and has "no interest in other companies' trade secrets," adding that OpenAI remains "focused on building innovative technology that empowers people everywhere."