OpenAI Fires Shots At Apple, Shares Chats Refuting Theft Allegations

OpenAI breathed fire on Apple over the latter's lawsuit alleging trade secrets theft. The ChatGPT maker shared several iMessage chats and email conversations challenging the iPhone's maker's lawsuit that claims OpenAI and two former employees stole trade secrets.

05 Aug 2026, 07:40 · NDTV

ChatGPT maker OpenAI on Tuesday came down heavily on iPhone maker Apple in a lengthy blogpost.

"Apple is one of the greatest companies of all time, and built a reputation for obsessing over the smallest details. This careless, aggressive and oddly personal lawsuit sadly doesn't live up to that reputation," is how OpenAI started its blogpost.

It went on to strongly refute Apple's allegations that OpenAI and two former employees, both now working for OpenAI, stole trade secrets to benefit the Sam Altman-led company's foray into consumer hardware.

Earlier on Monday Apple asked a US judge for a preliminary injunction barring the two former employees and OpenAI from accessing, acquiring, using or disclosing alleged confidential information as it moves ahead with its trade secrets case.

OpenAI shot back with the blog on Tuesday titled "Apple is getting this wrong."

What Went Down?

OpenAI said Apple's request for a preliminary injunction was "based on false information and completely unnecessary" because it neither possessed nor wanted Apple's trade secrets. The company argued that its focus was on building new products and technologies rather than relying on confidential information from competitors.

To back its claims, OpenAI published screenshots of iMessage conversations and email exchanges involving former Apple engineer Chang Liu, now an OpenAI employee. The company said the messages showed Apple employees reaching out to Liu after he had left the company, asking for help locating files and information related to Apple's work. According to OpenAI, this contradicted Apple's allegation that Liu improperly accessed confidential information after his departure

OpenAI also claimed that Apple's own systems allowed some former employees to retain access to internal files after leaving, describing it as a "common issue" caused by Apple's failure to properly manage system access.

Addressing allegations against another former Apple executive, Tang Tan, OpenAI said Tan had consistently instructed his team not to use confidential information belonging to other companies. The AI firm described Tan, who spent more than two decades at Apple before joining OpenAI, as one of the company's most innovative leaders.

OpenAI also accused Apple of misrepresenting earlier communications between the two companies. It published email exchanges that it said showed Apple's outside counsel had mistakenly emailed the wrong "Chang" and incorrectly stated that OpenAI's general counsel had discussed the matter over the phone. According to OpenAI, Apple's lawyers later acknowledged the mistake and said they were "resolving any issues", after which there was no further communication for several months before the lawsuit was filed.

The Origin Story

The dispute stems from Apple's lawsuit filed last month against OpenAI and former Apple executives Tang Tan and Chang Liu, who left Apple earlier this year to join OpenAI's hardware division. Apple has alleged the employees took confidential information related to product development and hardware engineering before leaving the company.

The case comes as OpenAI pushes deeper into consumer devices following its acquisition of io, the AI hardware startup co-founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive, in a deal worth nearly $6.5 billion. Apple has argued that the former executives were involved in technologies closely related to OpenAI's new hardware ambitions, while OpenAI has denied that any Apple trade secrets have been used in its products or research.

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