Apple sues OpenAI, alleges ChatGPT maker stole trade secrets for AI hardware project

Apple has sued OpenAI, accusing the artificial intelligence company and two former Apple employees of stealing confidential trade secrets to accelerate the development of OpenAI’s hardware for ChatGPT.

The lawsuit, filed in a California federal court, alleges a “coordinated pattern of misconduct at an institutional level” and claims former Apple executives Tang Tan, now OpenAI’s chief hardware officer, and Chang Liu, a former Apple electrical engineer, improperly accessed and used sensitive company information after joining OpenAI.

According to the complaint, Liu downloaded confidential hardware-related files on an Apple-issued device after leaving the company, while Tan allegedly encouraged Apple employees interviewing at OpenAI to bring “actual parts” from Apple.

Apple said its investigation uncovered a broader pattern of trade secret theft and claimed OpenAI’s emerging hardware business was built in part on misappropriated proprietary information. The company also said it raised its concerns with OpenAI in February but received no response.

OpenAI has not immediately commented on the allegations.

The legal dispute marks a major rupture in the relationship between the two companies, which have collaborated on AI features, as OpenAI pushes to develop a new category of AI-powered hardware designed to move beyond traditional smartphones and computers.

An Apple spokesperson said the company would “always defend our teams’ hard work and innovations” and take all appropriate legal steps to protect its intellectual property.