Apple Sues OpenAI Over Alleged Trade Secret Theft

The dispute marks a striking reversal for two firms that were close partners only recently. In 2024, Apple integrated OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot into the iPhone, but this year it shifted its Siri voice assistant to Google's Gemini model instead. Tensions deepened as OpenAI moved into hardware, spending roughly $6.4bn — or $6.5bn, according to some reports — to acquire io Products, a startup founded by former Apple designer Jony Ive. Apple claims the alleged theft was institutional rather than isolated: it says Tan emailed himself supplier information and told job candidates still at Apple to bring "actual parts" to interviews for "show and tell" sessions. OpenAI firmly denied wrongdoing, with spokesman Drew Pusateri stating, "We have no interest in other companies' trade secrets."

Apple described the allegations as merely "the tip of the iceberg" and argued that OpenAI's fledgling hardware business "rests on the shakiest of foundations." The company is seeking unspecified monetary damages and a court order barring OpenAI from possessing or using its confidential information; it says it raised concerns privately in February but was ignored. The timing is delicate: OpenAI is expected to unveil its first hardware product this month and is preparing to become a publicly traded company. For a case built on trade secrets, the outcome may hinge on whether Apple can prove the information taken was both genuinely secret and commercially valuable.