Apple Inc. filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in a California federal court on Friday, alleging the artificial intelligence company misappropriated trade secrets to develop its own hardware. The complaint names two former Apple employees, Tang Tan and Chang Liu, as defendants alongside OpenAI and the hardware firm io Products. Apple claims that OpenAI recruited its staff and encouraged them to provide confidential information, including hardware-related files and physical components, to assist in the development of AI-powered devices.
The lawsuit specifically alleges that Tan, now OpenAI’s chief hardware officer, directed job candidates to bring Apple parts to interviews. Apple also claims that Liu accessed and downloaded sensitive hardware files on a company device prior to his departure earlier this year. According to the filing, Apple attempted to address these concerns with OpenAI in February but did not receive a response.
OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri stated that the company is reviewing the filing but maintains it has no interest in other companies' trade secrets. The legal action marks a shift in the relationship between the two companies, who previously partnered to integrate ChatGPT into Apple's Siri technology. OpenAI is currently working with former Apple designer Jony Ive on AI-focused hardware, an initiative Apple's lawsuit claims relies on misappropriated intellectual property.