Inside Apple’s Trade Secret Allegations Against OpenAI

The allegations suggest a culture of industrial espionage reaching deep into Apple’s ranks. Apple claims that OpenAI Chief Hardware Officer Tang Yew Tan, a former Apple vice president, instructed job candidates to bring actual prototypes and design artifacts to interviews for “show and tell” sessions. Beyond physical parts, the suit details how OpenAI allegedly coached departing employees on evading security protocols—specifically the “dreaded walkout”—to retain access to internal servers after handing in their resignations.

The scale of the exodus is significant, with Apple noting that over 400 former employees now work at OpenAI. The complaint highlights specific instances involving former systems engineer Chang Liu, who allegedly exploited authentication bugs to access restricted storage from a colleague’s computer. Apple contends that this behavior extends to OpenAI’s recent acquisitions, including the firm io, which supposedly misled suppliers by using Apple’s internal terminology and confidential metal-finishing techniques to secure manufacturing advantages.

Apple claims it reached out to OpenAI regarding these concerns in February but received no response, forcing the matter into court. In a brief statement on X, OpenAI denied the accusations, maintaining that it has no interest in competitors' trade secrets and remains focused on independent innovation. Apple, meanwhile, insists that the evidence presented is merely the tip of the iceberg, promising that the discovery process will reveal a much broader pattern of misappropriation.