Apple sues OpenAI alleging trade secret theft and employee misconduct

Apple filed a federal lawsuit on Friday alleging that OpenAI systematically obtained and used the technology company's trade secrets. The complaint, spanning 41 pages, cites multiple instances in which former Apple engineers who joined OpenAI allegedly accessed Apple’s internal systems, shared proprietary designs, and were instructed to evade Apple’s exit procedures.

According to the filing, a former senior systems electrical engineer at Apple sent a message to a current Apple employee stating he could access network storage, to which the employee replied, “I’m ready.” Apple says the engineer exploited an authentication flaw from the employee’s work computer and later referenced having another Apple computer to continue the activity.

The suit also claims OpenAI’s chief hardware officer, a former Apple vice president, asked job candidates still employed by Apple to bring physical components, CAD files and prototype parts to OpenAI interviews. Apple alleges the company circulated internal documents advising departing employees on how to avoid standard exit protocols and to notify OpenAI if Apple requested signed exit paperwork.

Apple reports that more than 400 former employees now work at OpenAI, suggesting a potential breadth of exposure to confidential information. The complaint further accuses OpenAI’s recent acquisition, io, of using Apple’s proprietary metal-finishing techniques and internal terminology when dealing with a supplier.

Apple says it attempted to resolve the matter informally in February, but OpenAI did not respond. OpenAI’s brief public comment on X stated the company has no interest in other firms’ trade secrets and remains focused on its own technology development.