Apple sues OpenAI over alleged trade secret theft tied to hardware push
Apple $AAPL sued OpenAI and two former Apple employees, alleging a coordinated scheme to steal trade secrets for OpenAI's own hardware line. Named: Tang Tan, OpenAI's hardware chief and a former Apple VP who led iPhone design, and ex-Apple employee Chang Liu, accused of taking a
Apple $AAPL has sued OpenAI in federal court in Northern California, alleging the AI company ran a coordinated campaign to steal Apple trade secrets for its own consumer hardware ambitions. The lawsuit names Tang Tan, OpenAI's chief hardware officer, who previously served as Apple's vice president of product design and led development of the iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods. Apple also names Chang Liu, a former employee accused of taking a company laptop when he left. According to the filing, Tan used internal Apple project code names during OpenAI recruiting, asked job candidates to bring in Apple hardware components for interviews, and coached departing Apple staff on how to evade the company's security procedures. Apple's complaint states that more than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI, underscoring how aggressively the AI company has recruited from its rival. The case adds a legal front to the broader competition between Apple and OpenAI as both push into next-generation consumer devices.