OpenAI Rejects Apple’s Trade Secret Theft Allegations

OpenAI has denied Apple’s allegations that former employees stole trade secrets, arguing that the iPhone maker has failed to show that any confidential information was misappropriated. In a filing in a U.S. District Court in San Jose, OpenAI accused Apple of creating the dispute itself and attempting to shift blame.

Apple sued OpenAI and former employees Tang Tan and Chang Liu in July, alleging that they misappropriated confidential information involving hardware design, manufacturing and supply-chain operations as OpenAI expands into consumer devices. OpenAI said Apple is using the lawsuit to slow a potential competitor and discourage employees from joining its growing hardware initiative, which has recruited roughly 400 former Apple employees.

OpenAI also challenged Apple’s handling of employee departures, saying its policies can make it difficult for departing workers to separate personal and company information from corporate files. Liu said any post-departure access to Apple documents was intended to assist former colleagues, while Tan said he returned Apple prototypes and retained only non-confidential materials. The dispute marks a sharp deterioration in relations between the companies, which partnered in 2024 to bring ChatGPT to Apple’s ecosystem.

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