An OpenAI employee who joined Apple allegedly transferred over 100 files concerning an unreleased product to a personal account and later presented this information to senior Apple leadership, according to a new filing by OpenAI in its lawsuit against Apple. Apple claims a forensic examination of a former employee's laptop revealed the use of Apple's circuit schematic in OpenAI's work.
The allegations raise significant concerns about the protection of intellectual property and trade secrets in the competitive technology sector, particularly as companies develop advanced AI products. The outcome could impact employee mobility between major tech firms and set precedents for how trade secret theft is handled in the context of AI development.
OpenAI has alleged in a new court filing that a former employee who left the ChatGPT maker for Apple sent more than 100 files concerning an unreleased product to a personal account and subsequently presented this information to senior Apple leadership. This development is part of an ongoing lawsuit initiated by Apple in July 2026.
Apple's lawsuit accuses former employees, including Chang Liu and Tang Yew Tan, of stealing trade secrets related to unreleased products, hardware engineering, manufacturing processes, and suppliers to benefit OpenAI. OpenAI has denied these allegations, seeking to dismiss the case and arguing that Apple is attempting to stifle competition and discourage employee mobility.
Further escalating the dispute, Apple stated in a recent filing that a forensic examination of Liu's MacBook revealed he not only downloaded a confidential Apple circuit schematic but also used it in his work at OpenAI. Apple also claims Liu and others at OpenAI were aware of his unauthorized access to Apple's cloud storage and that Liu sent instructions to destroy evidence to an OpenAI colleague upon learning of Apple's investigation. Additionally, Apple alleges Liu used a tool at OpenAI that shares a name with an internal Apple engineering application.
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