Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that the company has stolen trade secrets to develop its upcoming AI gadgets. The lawsuit, filed in the District Court of Northern California, accuses OpenAI of trade secret misappropriation and breach of contract.

Background

OpenAI has been working with Jony Ive, a former Apple design chief, on a project to build devices that will bring smartphone users into the age of AI. The device is expected to be unveiled later this year, but the lawsuit could potentially delay its release.

According to the lawsuit, two former Apple engineers, Chang Liu and Tang Tan, played a critical role in the theft of Apple’s trade secrets. Liu, who left Apple to join OpenAI in January 2026, allegedly accessed and downloaded dozens of Apple’s confidential hardware-related files, including information about unreleased products and technical specifications.

Tan, who previously led iPhone and Apple Watch product design at Apple, allegedly used confidential company information when recruiting candidates and coached Apple employees on how to leave the company. The lawsuit also claims that other former Apple employees took confidential information with them when they left to work for OpenAI.

Implications

The lawsuit could have significant implications for OpenAI’s plans to go public in a massive IPO. The company has been aggressively poaching top talent from Apple, including at least ten engineers who joined OpenAI directly from Apple.

Apple has stated that it contacted OpenAI to raise its concerns when the investigation was in its early stages, but never received a response. The lawsuit represents a breakdown in the relationship between the two companies, which had previously announced a partnership to integrate ChatGPT into Apple products.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.