Apple filed a lawsuit in federal court in Northern California on Friday, accusing OpenAI of a coordinated effort to steal trade secrets to bolster its own consumer hardware ambitions. The complaint alleges that OpenAI systematically recruited Apple employees and encouraged them to misappropriate confidential information, including product designs, manufacturing processes, and supply chain strategies. Apple claims this misconduct occurred at an institutional level, involving high-level staff and leadership at the artificial intelligence firm.
The legal action marks a significant breakdown in the relationship between the two tech giants, which previously collaborated on integrating ChatGPT into Apple’s Siri. The lawsuit specifically names two former Apple employees, Tang Tan and Chang Liu, as defendants alongside OpenAI and its affiliates. Apple alleges that Liu, a former electrical engineer, retained a company-issued laptop after his departure and exploited a security vulnerability to access internal networks, downloading dozens of confidential hardware files.
According to the court filing, Apple’s investigation began after it discovered that former employees were allegedly using their access to extract proprietary data. The company claims that OpenAI’s Chief Hardware Officer, Tang Tan, who previously led product design for the iPhone and Apple Watch, directed efforts to have job candidates bring internal Apple parts to interviews for demonstration purposes. Apple asserts that these actions were part of a broader strategy to gain an unfair competitive advantage in the hardware market.
OpenAI has denied the allegations, stating that it has no interest in the trade secrets of other companies. A spokesperson for the firm emphasized that OpenAI remains focused on developing its own innovative technology. As the case proceeds, it highlights the intensifying competition for talent and proprietary technology in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence sector, potentially impacting OpenAI’s future business plans and its standing in the industry.