OpenAI Poached Over 400 Apple Employees And Told Recruits To Bring Hardware Samples For ‘Show And Tell’ Sessions, Apple’s Lawsuit Alleges

OpenAI has been relentlessly poaching talent from Apple, including from its core design team, ever since the maker of ChatGPT acquired Jony Ive's startup, called io.

Now, however, it seems Apple has had enough, and has lobbed its own volley via a high-profile lawsuit, accusing OpenAI of stealing trade secrets related to a slew of its upcoming AI devices.

Apple: "Recently, significant evidence has emerged suggesting individuals employed by OpenAI wrongfully took Apple's secret and confidential information regarding our unreleased technologies, processes, and products"

As per the information that is just trickling in, Apple has filed a civil lawsuit against OpenAI in the Northern District of California, accusing the maker of ChatGPT of stealing its trade secrets related to a slew of upcoming consumer AI devices.

The lawsuit specifically names Tang Tan, a former VP of Design at Apple, and Chang Liu, an erstwhile senior system electrical engineer, as co-accused. Finally, apart from levying accusations against OpenAI, the lawsuit also names Jony Ive's io as a defendant. Do note that OpenAI bought io last year for $6.5 billion.

Here are all of Apple's accusations in the lawsuit:

1. Tan leveraged his extensive knowledge of Apple's planned slew of AI products to grill prospective hires from the Cupertino-based tech giant, directing all such candidates to bring actual Apple hardware components and samples for "show and tell" sessions.
2. As an example of an "established pattern," Apple has disclosed that a candidate for employment at OpenAI began "screenshotting and downloading files relating to a highly confidential Apple project" just hours prior to an interview with Tan, who then encouraged the candidate to bring more information about the project.
3. Apple says it found a "pattern by employees who depart for OpenAI of taking steps to evade the security processes intended to protect Apple’s confidential information."
4. Meanwhile, Apple has accused its former engineer Liu of exploiting a security bug to download confidential engineering files that spanned over a thousand pages, and included information on device circuit boards, after leaving the company.
5. Apple has accused OpenAI of misleading a "trusted partner" into performing a demonstration of its proprietary metal-finishing technique.
6. To bolster its case, Apple has disclosed that OpenAI has hired over 400 former employees.

Right now, Apple is seeking an injunctive relief and damages for the theft of its trade secrets, the destruction of any of its proprietary material in OpenAI's possession, and a redesign of upcoming OpenAI hardware products so they do not infringe on Apple's technology.

Of course, today's development comes as OpenAI has continued to steal Apple's talent over the past few months in its quest to develop an "iPhone Killer" consumer AI device.

We reported back in 2025 that OpenAI had hired as many as 40 Apple engineers, including Matt Theobald, a manufacturing design expert, and Cyrus Daniel Irani, the lead on human interface design

To counter OpenAI's siren call, Apple recently increased the bonus for its key design team members, who now stand to earn between $200,000 and $400,000 in annual bonuses, depending on how Apple's stock performs.

This comes as OpenAI has been working on a number of AI devices, including AI-powered earbuds that bear the internal codename "Sweetpea" but might retail under the "Dime" brand name, and a consumer device that is shaped like a pen and bears the internal codename "Gumdrop."

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