WEB DESK: OpenAI has alleged that a former employee who joined Apple transferred more than 100 files related to an unreleased product to a personal account before presenting the product to senior Apple executives, according to a new court filing in the companies’ ongoing legal dispute.
The allegations were outlined in a filing submitted to a federal court in San Jose, California. OpenAI said the presentation took place several months ago and raised concerns about the potential use of its confidential technology as Apple expands its own artificial intelligence offerings, including the HomeView product released this week.
“OpenAI is very concerned that its trade secret and confidential information is now circulating inside Apple,” the company said in the filing, warning that Apple engineers could use its proprietary work to develop future products.
Apple rejected the allegations, saying it maintains policies and procedures to prevent new hires from using confidential information belonging to former employers. The company said its investigation had uncovered no evidence supporting OpenAI’s claims.
Filed on Tuesday, the document forms part of a broader trade secret lawsuit initiated by Apple earlier this year. Apple had accused several former employees of leaving the company and taking confidential information to OpenAI’s hardware division. OpenAI has denied those allegations.
The dispute highlights growing tensions between the two technology giants as they compete for skilled employees and valuable intellectual property, with OpenAI increasingly pursuing consumer hardware in a market traditionally dominated by Apple.
In a letter dated October 12 and made public through a separate court filing on Wednesday, Apple’s lawyers said the two personal phone numbers identified by OpenAI as recipients of the files did not match the number the former employee used for his work at Apple.
Consequently, Apple argued that there was no indication it possessed or controlled data sent to those numbers during the employee’s tenure at OpenAI.
Apple’s lawyers also said an examination of repositories linked to the employee’s work had found no evidence of OpenAI files on the company’s servers. They added that Apple had not previously been informed of any presentation involving unreleased OpenAI products and requested further details.
According to the letter, Apple said OpenAI did not provide the requested information and instead sought court intervention. Apple said it would continue investigating the allegations in cooperation with OpenAI.
Earlier this week, US District Court Judge Edward Davila partially granted Apple’s request for expedited access to digital evidence in the case.
The judge allowed Apple to collect data from certain devices belonging to its former employees and conduct depositions of three individuals on an accelerated schedule. The defendants include Chang Liu, a former senior systems electrical engineer, and Tang Yew Tan, a former vice president responsible for iPhone and Apple Watch product design.
The case is expected to proceed to trial in October 2027, although OpenAI has told the court it could be prepared to begin proceedings as early as June 2027.
