Apple alleges former employee stole trade secrets for OpenAI, cites 'shocking evidence' from recovered laptop
Apple filed new evidence in its lawsuit against OpenAI claiming a former employee used confidential schematics and tools at the AI company and may have destroyed evidence.
What happened
Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI alleging that former Apple employee Chang Liu, now working at OpenAI, stole trade secrets including a confidential circuit schematic and an engineering tool. The evidence emerged after Liu's former Apple laptop was handed over for investigation. Apple claims Liu exploited what it calls a rare, previously unknown authentication bug to retain access to Apple files, and alleges Liu enlisted colleague Yu-Ting Peng to help destroy evidence in June when he learned of Apple's investigation. Apple is seeking a preliminary injunction to block OpenAI from working on hardware based on Apple's technology and expedited discovery, noting that over 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI.
Context
The lawsuit centers on whether sensitive proprietary information and tools were improperly transferred from Apple to OpenAI through a former employee. Apple's claim that Liu exploited an authentication bug to retain access, combined with allegations of evidence destruction, raises questions about both data security and the legality of how trade secrets may have been handled during an employee's transition. The scale—over 400 former Apple employees at OpenAI—suggests a broader pattern that Apple contends warrants investigation of additional individuals.
What's disputed
OpenAI disputes the characterization of Liu's conduct, arguing he accessed Apple files only after leaving Apple to assist former colleagues who requested help, and that Apple's security failures—not intentional exploitation—enabled residual access. The parties also disagree on whether the authentication bug Liu used was rare and previously unknown versus a common issue stemming from Apple's access-management practices.