Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the ChatGPT maker of stealing its trade secrets to speed up its push into consumer hardware. The case was filed in Northern California, according to reporting from MSN.
According to CNBC-TV18, the suit names OpenAI along with two former Apple employees, including former hardware executive Tang Yew Tan. At the heart of Apple's complaint is an unusual allegation: that OpenAI's job-recruitment process doubled as a tool for pulling proprietary information out of Apple insiders. Coverage in Livemint points to specific claims, including a company laptop that was allegedly "not returned" and secret interviews used to extract confidential details.
The Times of India reports that this marks, for what it describes as the first time in Apple's 50-year history, the company suing a close partner — a striking move given that OpenAI's technology is used inside iPhones and the two firms have shared the stage at product launches. The lawsuit reportedly argues that OpenAI's hardware ambitions, tied to CEO Sam Altman, were built on illegally obtained Apple secrets.
OpenAI has pushed back. According to MSN, the company denies the allegations, stating it has "no interest" in other companies' confidential information.
The fight lands as both companies chase the next big computing device beyond the smartphone, with OpenAI signaling serious hardware ambitions of its own. That makes this more than a routine corporate spat: two of the most powerful players in technology — until now, collaborators — are now courtroom adversaries, and the outcome could shape who leads the emerging market for AI-powered gadgets.