Apple sues OpenAI over trade secrets

Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI on July 10, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, accusing the AI company of stealing trade secrets to accelerate its hardware development. The complaint alleges that OpenAI, through former Apple employees Tang Tan and Liu Chang, engaged in a coordinated campaign to misappropriate confidential information, including product designs, manufacturing processes, and supply chain strategies. Apple claims that Tan, now OpenAI's chief hardware officer, instructed job candidates to bring Apple components and prototypes to interviews, and that Liu downloaded dozens of confidential files after retaining an Apple-issued laptop. Apple also alleges that OpenAI approached a manufacturing partner to perform a proprietary metal-finishing technique under false pretenses. The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief, damages, and an order for OpenAI to redesign products to exclude Apple's technology. OpenAI responded that it has no interest in other companies' trade secrets. The legal action marks a sharp deterioration in the relationship between the two companies, which had partnered in 2024 to integrate ChatGPT into Apple devices. Apple later chose Alphabet Inc.'s Gemini AI for its revamped Siri. The lawsuit could complicate OpenAI's plans for an initial public offering.