Apple Sues OpenAI, Alleges Theft of Trade Secrets for AI Hardware Development

Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, accusing the AI company of misappropriating confidential information and trade secrets related to its next-generation hardware products. The lawsuit alleges that OpenAI recruited former Apple employees, including its Chief Hardware Officer Tang Tan and former iPhone engineer Chang Liu, and used confidential Apple information to accelerate the development of AI-powered devices.

Apple further claims that OpenAI encouraged departing employees to retain access to confidential information, sought details of unreleased products during recruitment, and attempted to leverage Apple's manufacturing expertise. The company has requested a jury trial and is seeking court orders requiring OpenAI to stop using the alleged trade secrets, return Apple's intellectual property, destroy proprietary materials, and redesign future products if they incorporate Apple technology. OpenAI has denied all allegations, stating that it has no interest in other companies' trade secrets and remains focused on building innovative AI technologies.