Apple Sues OpenAI Over Alleged Hardware Espionage and Trade Secret Misappropriation

Apple is suing OpenAI in federal court, alleging a former engineer retained a company MacBook and exploited an authentication vulnerability to access unreleased product specifications. The lawsuit also names OpenAI Chief Hardware Officer Tang Yew Tan as a defendant, accusing him of inappropriate recruitment practices like using internal Apple codenames during interviews. OpenAI's hardware ambitions expanded significantly after its reported $6.5B acquisition of io Products in 2025. The talent pipeline between the firms is massive, with Apple stating that more than 400 former employees currently work at OpenAI or its hardware subsidiary. OpenAI asserts it has no interest in appropriating trade secrets and has filed motions to dismiss the active case as of late August 2026.