Apple Sues OpenAI Over Alleged Trade Secret Theft Tied to Its Consumer Hardware Push

Apple has sued OpenAI and two former Apple employees, accusing them of misappropriating trade secrets to accelerate OpenAI's move into consumer hardware, in a legal fight that lands as the AI company juggles mounting reputational and regulatory pressure. The complaint, filed July 10, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, names OpenAI Foundation, OpenAI Group PBC and the hardware startup io Products, alongside former Apple senior vice president and current OpenAI Chief Hardware Officer Tang Tan and former Apple senior systems electrical engineer Chang Liu.