Apple filed a lawsuit Friday against OpenAI seeking injunctions to block the AI company from using confidential information allegedly stolen by former employees.

The complaint centers on Chang Liu, an eight-year Apple veteran who joined OpenAI in January 2026. Liu discovered an authentication bug on February 9 that allowed him to access Apple's shared network folders using his unreturned work laptop.

Rather than report the vulnerability, Liu allegedly downloaded dozens of confidential files over several weeks. The stolen materials included presentations on circuit boards, engineering specifications, and data on unreleased products that Apple described as "invaluable to anyone developing hardware."

"LOL," Liu wrote to current Apple employee Yu-Ting Peng. "I found out I can access the [network storage], so funny."

Apple discovered the breach while investigating internal messages between Liu and Peng. The company quickly patched the bug and confirmed server logs showed other affected users did not exploit the vulnerability.

Hardware recruitment scheme alleged

Apple claims the theft extends beyond Liu to a broader pattern involving Tang Yew Tan, OpenAI's chief hardware officer and former Apple vice president who spent 24 years at the iPhone maker.

Tan allegedly used insider knowledge including secret project codenames to recruit Apple employees. The lawsuit claims he asked departing staff to bring computer parts for "show and tell" sessions that would reveal proprietary technologies beyond what reverse-engineering might uncover.

Apple alleges Tan created a checklist using internal documents to help former employees evade security measures when stealing trade secrets. The company says OpenAI has poached more than 400 former Apple staff members.

Liu allegedly coached Peng on avoiding "trouble" when leaving Apple and shared advice on OpenAI interviews, noting other former Apple employees "fumbled" by failing to provide insights into "top-secret projects."

OpenAI disputed the allegations in a statement to Ars Technica. "We have no interest in other companies' trade secrets," a spokesperson said. "We remain focused on building innovative technology that empowers people everywhere."

CEO Sam Altman posted on X: "I am not afraid of Apple, but I have tremendous respect for them."

Apple called OpenAI's hardware business "rotten to its core by its illegal reliance on misappropriated trade secrets." The company acknowledged it "lacks visibility into what's been happening behind closed doors at OpenAI" but claimed misconduct is "normalized and exemplified by leadership."