Apple claims OpenAI attempted to steal confidential information
OpenAI, the artificial-intelligence firm behind the ChatGPT chatbot, has been expanding into developing hardware.
Apple has sued OpenAI and one of its lead executives, alleging that the artificial-intelligence lab attempted to steal confidential information from the iPhone maker.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, names two former Apple $(AAPL)$ employees, Chang Liu and Tang Yew Tan, as defendants alongside OpenAI. It accuses both of them of engaging in what Apple named a "pattern of thefts" of confidential information related to the company's hardware.
Liu worked at Apple for eight years before joining OpenAI in January, according to the lawsuit, which claims he has taken a number of steps to hide the "full extent" of his alleged theft. The lawsuit claims that Liu did not return an Apple-issued work laptop and exploited a "rare, previously unknown" bug to access Apple's shared network folders while employed at OpenAI.
The lawsuit also accuses Tan, a 24-year Apple veteran and former executive, of emailing himself information about the company's suppliers and directing job candidates still employed at Apple to bring "actual parts" from Apple for "show and tell" sessions at OpenAI.
Tan left Apple to found io Products alongside Jony Ive, Apple's former chief design officer, and other leaders. The firm merged with OpenAI last year and it is also accused of participating in misconduct at an "institutional level."
"This is the tip of the iceberg. Apple lacks visibility into what's been happening behind closed doors at OpenAI, where such misconduct is normalized and exemplified by leadership," according to the lawsuit.
Representatives for Apple and OpenAI did not immediately return a request for comment.
The lawsuit is one of several legal actions that OpenAI is currently facing, including claims of trade-secret theft levied by iyO, a technology hardware startup. The company had earlier sued Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman for trademark infringement. OpenAI has denied the claims levied by iyO.
Apple and OpenAI first became partners in 2024, when they announced a deal to integrate ChatGPT into iPhones and other products. In May, OpenAI was reported to be exploring legal action against Apple after the expected benefits from the deal failed to materialize.
-William Gavin
This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
July 10, 2026 18:07 ET (22:07 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Comments