Apple Sues OpenAI for Trade Secret Theft, Alleging Ex-Employees Stole Hardware Secrets

Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the AI company of systematically poaching employees and stealing trade secrets to build its consumer hardware division under Jony Ive.

Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI on Thursday, accusing the AI company of trade secret theft through a coordinated campaign to poach former Apple employees and extract confidential hardware design information.

The suit names former Apple VP of product design Tang Tan, former senior system electrical engineer Chang Liu, OpenAI itself, and io Products — the design firm founded by ex-Apple chief designer Jony Ive that OpenAI acquired for $6.5 billion — as defendants. Apple claims over 400 former employees now work at OpenAI, calling the conduct detailed in the filing "the tip of the iceberg."

The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges Tan used insider knowledge to interrogate job candidates and directed Apple employees to bring actual hardware components to interviews for "show and tell" sessions. One candidate reportedly remarked they "didn't even know we could take those from the office."

Liu is accused of exploiting a security bug to download over a thousand pages of confidential engineering documents after departing the company, then joking about the exploit in messages ("LOL," "so funny") rather than reporting it. He also allegedly coached another Apple employee on which confidential materials to study before her OpenAI interview.

The suit further alleges OpenAI misled a trusted Apple manufacturing partner into performing Apple's proprietary metal-finishing technique without authorization, and approached a second longtime supplier with "targeted questions" about specific Apple components using insider terminology.

Apple says it first raised concerns directly with OpenAI in February 2026 but received no response. The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief and damages as OpenAI, under Jony Ive's hardware leadership, reportedly targets a 2028 smartphone launch and a HomePod-style smart speaker.

Sources: 9to5Mac, Hacker News discussion