Apple Sues OpenAI, Alleges Former Designer Orchestrated Large-Scale Trade Secret Theft

Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in federal court in Northern California on Friday, accusing the AI company of orchestrating a years-long scheme to steal trade secrets — including unreleased product plans, component specifications, and supplier relationship data — by systematically poaching Apple employees and coaching them on how to evade detection.

The complaint centers on Tang Tan, a former Apple designer who now leads hardware at OpenAI, and Chang Liu, a former Apple electronics engineer. Apple alleges the two recruited current Apple employees for OpenAI positions, then instructed them on exactly how to bypass the company’s standard exit procedures while smuggling confidential information out the door.

“OpenAI instructs new hires on how to leave Apple without triggering scrutiny,” the lawsuit states, describing a pattern where departing employees were told not to disclose their OpenAI destination. Apple claims Tan illegally retained an internal document marked “need-to-know only” that detailed Apple’s post-resignation security audit process — and shared it with recruits before they formally quit.

The complaint paints a picture of methodical, ongoing data theft. Some employees allegedly forwarded confidential files to personal email accounts. Others are accused of using Apple’s proprietary information to help OpenAI develop its own hardware products. When OpenAI approached Apple’s supply chain partners, the company allegedly used Apple’s confidential supplier data to gain an advantage.

One particularly striking allegation: Apple claims Tan instructed a candidate to “bring some parts along” to an interview — specifically batteries, SiP (system-in-package) modules, motherboards, and other components. Apple says this was not an isolated incident; multiple OpenAI interviewees were given similar instructions.

Chang Liu, according to the filing, kept his Apple-issued laptop after leaving the company and exploited a system vulnerability to download dozens of confidential files while already working at OpenAI. He also maintained contact with a current Apple employee, Yu-Ting “Alyssa” Peng, who allegedly continued feeding him project updates, supplier decisions, and engineering details.

Apple says it first detected a potential breach in February 2026 and attempted to contact OpenAI directly. The company says OpenAI did not respond, forcing Apple to launch its own investigation and eventually file the lawsuit.

Jony Ive, the former Apple design chief who now works with OpenAI, was not named as a defendant — though his company io Products was included in the suit. The filing notes that roughly 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI, though the lawsuit does not target OpenAI’s broader hiring of Apple talent.

Apple is asking the court for an injunction barring OpenAI from possessing, using, or disclosing the allegedly stolen technology, in addition to unspecified damages. The company is also pursuing breach-of-contract claims against Tan and Liu individually.

The case captures the growing tension between the two tech giants, as OpenAI pushes aggressively into consumer hardware. Apple argues that OpenAI’s strategy amounts to “free-riding on the train Apple has been building for decades,” rather than investing in legitimate research and development.