Apple filed a lawsuit on July 10, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, accusing OpenAI of orchestrating a coordinated campaign to steal trade secrets and confidential information related to Apple’s hardware development. According to the complaint, the alleged theft occurred “at every level” of OpenAI, including members of its technical staff and hardware leadership. An Apple representative stated that “significant evidence has emerged suggesting individuals employed by OpenAI wrongfully took Apple’s secret and confidential information.” The suit names OpenAI, its hardware chief Tang Tan, former Apple employee Chang Liu, and IO Products — the startup acquired by OpenAI for $6.4 billion — as defendants. [4]
Background: From Partnership to Rivalry
Relations between Apple and OpenAI deteriorated sharply after a high-profile partnership in 2024, when ChatGPT was integrated into the iPhone operating system. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman visited Apple’s headquarters for the announcement. Tensions escalated after OpenAI announced plans to enter the hardware industry and acquired IO Products, a startup founded by former Apple designer Jony Ive, for $6.4 billion. Apple’s updated Siri assistant is now based on Google’s Gemini AI models rather than OpenAI’s technology. The legal filing describes a shift from collaboration to direct competition, with Apple alleging that OpenAI used the partnership as cover to extract proprietary information. [4][2]
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