The AI race moves from talent to courtrooms.
CUPERTINO, UNITED STATES | JULY 2026
Apple has filed a federal lawsuit against OpenAI and two former employees, accusing them of misappropriating confidential information related to the company’s hardware operations. The complaint alleges that OpenAI recruited Apple personnel to obtain technical knowledge about unreleased products, engineering processes and supply chains. OpenAI has denied having any interest in the trade secrets of other companies.
One of the central figures is Chang Liu, a former senior electrical systems engineer who left Apple in January 2026 to join OpenAI. Apple claims Liu failed to return a corporate laptop and retained access to internal systems after his departure. The lawsuit alleges that he downloaded confidential files containing product specifications, engineering presentations and information about devices that had not yet reached the market.
The complaint further alleges that Liu advised another Apple employee on how to copy internal materials without alerting the company’s security team. According to Apple, he also identified documents that could help that person prepare for an interview with OpenAI. The allegations have not been proven and remain subject to judicial review.
Apple also named Tang Yew Tan, OpenAI’s hardware chief and a former Apple executive who spent 24 years at the company. Tan previously held a senior product design position involving some of Apple’s most important devices. The company alleges that before leaving, he transferred supplier information and internal assessments to personal accounts.
According to the lawsuit, recruitment interviews were later used to obtain information about Apple products from candidates. Apple claims some applicants were asked to discuss confidential projects and bring physical components to technical presentations. The company argues that OpenAI’s emerging hardware operation may have benefited from knowledge obtained improperly.
The case arrives as artificial intelligence companies move beyond software and compete to develop new consumer devices. Its outcome could influence how Silicon Valley protects intellectual property, recruits specialized engineers and distinguishes professional experience from legally protected information. The dispute turns the global race for AI hardware into a direct legal confrontation.
Lo visible y lo oculto, en contexto. / The visible and the hidden, in context.