Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI for allegedly stealing trade secrets.

Apple has initiated legal action against OpenAI, accusing the AI startup of misappropriating trade secrets to expedite hardware development. The lawsuit names OpenAI, hardware company IO Products, and two former Apple employees: Tang Tan, who now leads OpenAI's hardware division, and Chang Liu, currently at OpenAI. According to Apple's allegations, Liu took company laptops and confidential materials before departing, while Tan provided insider information to Apple employees interviewing at OpenAI. The company notes that over 400 former Apple staff currently work at OpenAI.

The complaint comes amid shifting partnership dynamics. In 2024, Apple and OpenAI signed an agreement to integrate ChatGPT into Siri. However, this June, Apple unveiled a redesigned Siri powered by Google's Gemini instead of OpenAI's technology. Apple maintains the current litigation is independent of the 2024 partnership. The company seeks damages, cessation of confidential information use, asset recovery, and injunctive court orders.