The 6 wildest claims in Apple’s lawsuit against OpenAI

When Apple labor interviewed for jobs astatine OpenAI, the AI startup’s hardware caput allegedly asked them to show up pinch thing unusual: components they were moving connected and unreleased merchandise samples. That’s according to a blockbuster lawsuit revenge by Apple, which accuses OpenAI of stealing confidential documents, spying connected hardware prototypes, and tricking 1 of its trusted partners into performing a proprietary merchandise creation technique.

The suit chiefly revolves astir the alleged actions of 3 people:

They’re accused of being portion of an ongoing strategy to bargain Apple’s secrets arsenic OpenAI plans its first AI hardware device, which is expected to beryllium coming adjacent year.

Here are the astir astonishing claims successful Apple’s 41-page filing.

After announcing plans to time off Apple, Liu allegedly didn’t respond to requests to motion a confidentiality reminder, schedule an exit interview, aliases corroborate that he returned company-owned devices, arsenic is modular pinch departures astatine Apple. Instead, Apple claims Liu “failed to return astatine slightest 1 Apple-owned computer,” and told different employee, Peng, that he still has “another computer.”

Liu besides allegedly accessed Apple’s cloud-based web retention weeks aft he near the company, utilizing an authentication vulnerability that Apple didn’t cognize about. “Mr. Liu celebrated his find pinch Ms. Peng and group astir exploiting it: ‘LOL, I recovered retired I tin entree the [network storage], truthful funny,’” Apple claims. “Ms. Peng’s consequence was immediate: “‘I’m ready.’”

Apple accuses Liu of downloading dozens of confidential files from its retention system, including documents containing method specifications, specifications astir unreleased products, and engineering presentations, including 1 detailing the manufacturing and testing of Apple’s main logic boards.

In the months pursuing Liu’s departure, Peng allegedly kept Liu successful the loop astir Apple’s projects, engineering details, and vendor relationships. “Ms. Peng and Mr. Liu would prosecute successful extent astir those confidential projects, while Mr. Liu was moving connected processing OpenAI’s competing hardware,” Apple claims. “Mr. Liu’s activity for OpenAI was informed by a steadily flowing watercourse of Apple’s waste and acquisition concealed accusation from Ms. Peng.”

Apple besides claims that Liu informed Peng connected really to entree and transcript files from Apple’s devices “to debar problem pinch the information team,” while pointing her to “specific Apple task folders and proprietary engineering data.” Peng departed Apple for OpenAI successful April 2026.

Tan is accused of soliciting Apple’s waste and acquisition secrets during interviews pinch OpenAI occupation candidates — and quizzing them connected it. Apple claims Liu told Peng astir really different erstwhile Apple worker “fumbled” his answers to a mobility Tan asked astir “a top-secret task for an unreleased caller Apple product.” Liu past allegedly downloaded “some info” utilizing his entree to Apple’s web to thief Peng hole for her interview.

In different instance, Apple claims different erstwhile worker began “screenshotting and downloading files relating to a highly confidential Apple project” earlier an question and reply pinch OpenAI. Tan is accused of asking for much accusation astir that aforesaid task during the interview. Last year, Tan admitted to receiving confidential accusation astir an AI hardware startup earlier joining Ive’s io.

Aside from asking for much accusation astir Apple’s concealed projects, Tan is accused of telling interviewees to bring hardware components and merchandise samples from their activity astatine Apple for “show and show sessions.”

For example, messages near connected an Apple-issued activity instrumentality show that Mr. Tan instructed an Apple worker to “bring immoderate parts [she] worked on” specified arsenic “Batteries,” “SIP” (Systems-in-Package), “mlb” (multi-layer aliases main logic boards), and “shields” and that it whitethorn “be bully to show” different interviewers these Apple components.

Additionally, OpenAI is accused of asking interviewees to hole “Technical Deep Dive” presentations, pinch slides revealing confidential accusation from their activity astatine Apple.

Apple claims Tan kept an soul archive that outlines worker offboarding procedures. OpenAI allegedly utilized this accusation to pass labor coming from Apple astir the company’s information checks and “coached” them connected really to debar it.

The AI elephantine besides advised departing Apple workers not to disclose their caller employer and besides offered tips connected really to debar a “dreaded locomotion out,” which would consequence successful their contiguous removal from the company, preventing them from accessing Apple’s systems for a modular 2 weeks, the suit alleges. OpenAI is accused of telling Apple labor not to “sign thing astatine the exit interview,” and if they’re asked to motion a document, to show OpenAI “asap.”

In the lawsuit, Apple says that OpenAI’s alleged strategies “appear to beryllium having their desired effect.” Apple claims it has noticed “a caller inclination of labor who are leaving Apple for OpenAI and taking steps to evade information measures,” including workers “ignoring outreach by information unit to schedule exit processes and information reviews.”

Apple claims OpenAI has utilized its confidential accusation to attack its “trusted partners,” including 1 that carries retired a proprietary, multi-step metal-finishing method for its products. OpenAI allegedly misled Apple’s partner, making the institution judge that OpenAI had Apple’s support to usage the metal-finishing technique. “Apple has not fixed OpenAI aliases io support to usage aliases a licence to immoderate of Apple’s waste and acquisition secrets aliases confidential information, including those it has entrusted pinch this partner,” Apple says.

Apple besides accuses OpenAI of approaching “at least” 1 different supplier that useful pinch Apple connected manufacturing related to powerfulness and batteries. OpenAI allegedly utilized confidential accusation and soul codenames to inquire “targeted questions” astir Apple’s components “that would beryllium useful successful furthering OpenAI’s hardware ambitions.”

OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri provided this connection to The Verge connected Friday: “We person nary liking successful different companies’ waste and acquisition secrets. We stay focused connected building innovative exertion that empowers group everywhere.”