Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleging systematic theft of confidential hardware trade secrets. The complaint asserts that former Apple personnel improperly shared unreleased product designs, circuit board specifications, and internal methodology with OpenAI. Apple's complaint claims that OpenAI has recruited over 400 former Apple employees to build out its nascent hardware division.
Interview Tactics and Physical Hardware Theft
According to the court filing, former Apple product design VP Tang Tan used confidential internal knowledge to interrogate candidates during OpenAI job interviews. Tan allegedly instructed candidates who were still working at Apple to bring physical hardware components and samples to interviews for "show and tell" sessions.
Candidates were also asked to reveal proprietary CAD software files, prototype details, and supplier selection strategies. Apple claims Tan even distributed an internal "Need to Know" document detailing Apple's exit security protocols to recruits before they gave official notice.
Security Glitches and Supplier Misdirection
The lawsuit highlights specific actions by former senior electrical engineer Chang Liu, who reportedly exploited a post-departure security flaw to download over 1,000 pages of technical circuit board files. Rather than reporting the vulnerability, Liu allegedly joked about the exploit in private messages and failed to return his Apple-issued laptop.
Apple further accuses OpenAI of misleading a shared metal-finishing partner into performing proprietary finishing techniques without permission. The filing also states OpenAI targeted an Apple battery supplier using internal terminology to gain non-public technical data.
Key Details From the Filing
- Mass Talent Shift: Over 400 former Apple staff now work at OpenAI, including more than 50 brought on via OpenAI's $6.5 billion acquisition of Jony Ive's startup, io.
- Unanswered Warnings: Apple directly contacted OpenAI in February to address trade secret concerns, but received no response.
- Named Defendants: The legal filing specifically targets OpenAI, io Products, Tang Tan, and Chang Liu.
- Exfiltrated Data: Documents downloaded by departing staff included detailed circuit board manufacturing files and unannounced project roadmaps.
Why It Matters
This legal clash exposes the escalating tensions surrounding consumer AI hardware as OpenAI prepares to launch its first physical devices. However, Apple acknowledges in the filing that it currently lacks full visibility into internal OpenAI operations, describing these disclosures as merely the tip of the iceberg until court-ordered discovery proceeds.