Apple sues OpenAI over theft of secret AI gadget tech
Photo: Apple is suing OpenAI over secret developments for an AI device (Getty Images)
A high-profile legal dispute has erupted between Apple and OpenAI. The iPhone maker claims its rival used its confidential developments, reports CNN.
Apple has filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, accusing OpenAI of unlawfully misappropriating trade secrets and breaching contractual obligations.
According to Apple, the company used its confidential developments to create a new artificial intelligence device that has not yet been publicly unveiled.
At the center of the case are former Apple employees Chang Liu and Tang Tan, who joined OpenAI and worked on the company's hardware division. Apple claims that before leaving the company, they gained access to a large volume of internal materials, including technical documentation, engineering presentations, and data on products that had not yet reached the market.
The company also alleges that Tan used confidential information while recruiting new employees and shared information about Apple's suppliers with OpenAI. According to the plaintiff, other Apple employees were allegedly advised on how to resign in a way that would allow them to take valuable materials with them.
The lawsuit also mentions io Products, a company founded by former Apple chief designer Jony Ive. OpenAI acquired it last year to develop its own hardware division. Ive is not a defendant in the case.
OpenAI rejected the allegations.
"We have no interest in other companies’ trade secrets. We remain focused on building innovative technology that empowers people everywhere," the company's spokesperson Drew Pusateri said.
According to CNN, the legal dispute could jeopardize the launch of OpenAI's new AI device, expected later this year, and complicate the company's preparations for an initial public offering.
The conflict marks another stage in the intensifying competition between Apple and OpenAI. Despite the partnership announced in 2024 to integrate ChatGPT into Apple products, OpenAI has been actively recruiting engineers from the iPhone maker to develop its own hardware division. According to CNN, the company has already hired at least ten former Apple employees.
In recent months, an increasing number of leaks have suggested that Apple is preparing its first foldable iPhone. According to insiders, the new device may be called the iPhone Ultra and could debut as early as the fall of 2026.
The smartphone is expected to feature a 7.8-inch flexible display, a redesigned iOS 27 interface, a Touch ID scanner instead of Face ID, and the largest battery ever installed in an iPhone.
