Apple Accuses OpenAI of Industrial Espionage, Lawsuit Filed Over Stolen Trade Secrets

Apple has launched a legal offensive against OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, accusing the artificial intelligence firm of stealing confidential information. The tech giant alleges that former Apple employees now working at OpenAI illicitly acquired trade secrets related to Apple’s technologies, processes, and unreleased products.

This legal move, reported by 9to5Mac on July 10, 2026, signals a potential major courtroom confrontation between two leading technology companies. Apple claims to have found “tangible evidence” of this alleged misappropriation.

OpenAI’s Response

OpenAI has publicly denied the accusations. Drew Pusateri, Communications Strategy Director at OpenAI, stated on X (formerly Twitter) on July 11, 2026, “We have no interest in the trade secrets of other companies. We remain focused on designing innovative technologies that empower people all over the world.”

This statement directly counters Apple’s claims, which suggest a deliberate act of intellectual property theft.

Allegations of Misappropriation

According to Bloomberg, Apple has meticulously built a case to support its accusations. The company asserts that over 400 of its former employees are now employed by OpenAI. The lawsuit specifically names Chang Liu, a former senior electrical systems engineer, and Tang Tan, an ex-vice president of product design. Tan, notably, co-founded the startup io, which was acquired by OpenAI to develop physical products, a venture that also involved Jony Ive, Apple’s former design chief, though Ive is not named in the suit.

The lawsuit details how Tan allegedly leveraged his Apple experience during job interviews at OpenAI, seeking to extract further confidential information. It’s claimed that Tan solicited interview candidates to bring “actual Apple hardware components and samples” for presentation sessions. One applicant reportedly began capturing screenshots and downloading internal files related to a confidential project before an interview with Tan.

Liu is accused of exploiting a security vulnerability to retrieve engineering data from an Apple-provided MacBook that he allegedly failed to return. This reportedly involved accessing a file containing “thousands of pages” of sensitive information. Apple suggests these actions go beyond mere employee poaching, indicating a systematic effort to acquire proprietary data.

Pre-Litigation Efforts

Apple reportedly contacted OpenAI as early as February to request an investigation into these alleged data breaches. However, the company claims it received no satisfactory response, leading to the formal legal action.

The legal battle could have significant implications for OpenAI’s planned physical product launches, potentially causing delays due to the ongoing litigation and scrutiny.

Key facts

This development is crucial for the AI and tech industry as it highlights the increasing legal and ethical complexities surrounding talent acquisition and intellectual property in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. The outcome of this lawsuit could set precedents for how companies protect their proprietary information when employees move between competitors.

Source: Apple attacks OpenAI in justice for theft of industrial secrets – Numerama IA – https://www.numerama.com/tech/2294553-apple-attaque-openai-en-justice-pour-vol-de-secrets-industriels.html