OpenAI claims ex-employee brought confidential docs about unreleased device to Apple | Latest Tech News
Sam Altman’s OpenAI obtained evidence that a former worker brought more than 100 confidential information about an unreleased device with him upon becoming a member of Apple, according to a bombshell submitting Wednesday in the commerce secret theft case between the 2 tech giants.
The ChatGPT maker said the alleged theft by an unnamed ex-employee was found during a “recent and ongoing forensic investigation” associated to the lawsuit. Apple first sued OpenAI and two former staff in July, accusing them of stealing its commerce secrets and techniques, including “dozens of Apple’s confidential hardware-related files.”
In its submitting, OpenAI alleged that its ex-employee “sent over a hundred highly confidential files about at least one unreleased OpenAI device under development to his personal accounts.” The allegedly stolen information included information with “detailed images” and “highly confidential engineering and manufacturing data about the device(s).”
OpenAI, run by CEO Sam Altman, obtained evidence that a former worker brought more than 100 confidential information about an unreleased device with him upon becoming a member of Apple, according to a bombshell submitting Wednesday. REUTERS
“Some of those files were sent just after midnight in Singapore on June 2, 2026 — the former employee’s final day at OpenAI,” the submitting said. “Further, it is OpenAI’s understanding that the former employee made a presentation about OpenAI’s product plans to Apple’s senior leadership, including Apple’s vice president of operations in Asia.”
The worker in query, who beforehand labored at Apple, joined OpenAI for a period of six months before finally returning to Apple, according to the submitting. OpenAI claims that the paperwork aided Apple’s “new push into AI-enabled products” — and particularly referenced this week’s launch of the “Apple Home” line of good home equipment.
OpenAI said it approached Apple about the incident but has not acquired “requested assurances” that the company, led by CEO John Ternus, isn’t in possession of or made use of the paperwork.
“OpenAI is very concerned that its trade secret and confidential information is now circulating inside Apple, where Apple engineers can shape Apple’s upcoming products based on OpenAI’s confidential and innovative work,” the submitting said.
Rached for remark, an Apple spokesperson said the company has strict insurance policies in place to guarantee new staff don’t misuse confidential data from their prior employers. Apple discovered no evidence to help OpenAI’s declare and hasn’t responded to requests for more data, the spokesperson added.
Apple CEO John Ternus opens the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan for the iPhone 18 launch on Sept. 18, 2026. ZUMAPRESS.com
The allegation surfaced on the same day as a key listening to in the case. US District Judge Edward Davila said he was “highly likely” to facet with Apple on its request to grant an injunction barring use of its proprietary data by ex-Apple staff who now work for OpenAI, Bloomberg reported.
At the same time, Davila threw cold water on Apple’s push for a forensic inspection of all OpenAI devices and code repositories for stolen commerce secrets and techniques, describing the request as a “huge ask.”
Apple reportedly responded that it was content to restrict the inspection to a handful of staff who left the company for jobs at OpenAI.
OpenAI claims to have discovered evidence an ex-employee took its commerce secrets and techniques with him to Apple. ZUMAPRESS.com
Apple’s lawsuit against OpenAI recognized Chang Liu, a former senior system electrical engineer at Apple, and Tang Yew Tan, a former VP of product design, as the 2 staff who allegedly took the company’s IP with them on the best way out the door.
Liu allegedly failed to return his Apple-issued laptop computer and used a software program bug to access confidential information after he had already left the company.
The lawsuit claimed that Liu “celebrated his improper access, exclaiming in a message left on his colleague’s Apple-issued work laptop ‘LOL’ and that it was ‘so funny.’”
The criticism also accused Tan of “methodically using Apple’s confidential information to benefit OpenAI,” such as by emailing himself data about the company’s suppliers before his exit.
OpenAI has strongly denied the allegations, stating that it has “no interest in other companies’ trade secrets.”
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