Apple has filed a federal lawsuit against the artificial intelligence company OpenAI, its former employees and the design start‑up io Products. The complaint accuses the parties of a “pattern of theft” of confidential product development work.
Three former Apple engineers, who joined OpenAI after long careers at Apple, are alleged to have transferred internal project data through e‑mail and other channels. The lawsuit names Chang Liu, an electrical engineer with eight years at Apple, and Tang Yew Tan, a design veteran who spent 24 years at the company but now serves as OpenAI’s chief hardware officer.
Apple claims that these ex‑employees used their knowledge of sensitive projects, trusted partner relationships, proprietary manufacturing techniques and unreleased products to give OpenAI a leap in its own hardware ambitions.
The suit also targets io Products, the firm founded by former Apple designer Jony Ive and acquired by OpenAI last year. Apple says the combined efforts of the employees and the start‑up have effectively created an “enterprise” that exploits Apple’s confidential information to bolster OpenAI’s consumer hardware strategy.
OpenAI has denied the allegations, stating it has no interest in another company’s trade secrets and is “focused on building innovative technology that empowers people everywhere.” A spokesperson said the company is reviewing the claim and will respond in due course.
Apple requested that the court issue an injunction to prevent OpenAI from accessing or using any confidential data and sought unspecified monetary damages. Apple also noted it had tried to raise its concerns with OpenAI in February, but the outreach was ignored.
Beyond the lawsuit, OpenAI plans to release a first‑hand hardware product—a keyboard for its AI tools—this month and is courting a public listing.
Tim Cook, who is stepping down as Apple’s CEO, once incorporated ChatGPT into Apple devices. However, Apple has shifted many AI features to Google’s Gemini model, reflecting growing friction between the two firms.
