OpenAI Claims Ex-Employee Gave Product Plans to Apple

In a court document filed on Wednesday, OpenAI alleged that a former worker illegally transferred more than 100 confidential files to a personal account prior to departing the company for Apple. According to the official legal filing, the unnamed ex-employee later pitched these stolen materials directly to senior leadership at Apple, including the vice president overseeing the tech giant's operations in Asia. The sharp disclosure marks a major escalation in an ongoing legal battle between the two technology giants over proprietary trade secrets.

The exfiltrated documentation allegedly contained photos of at least one unreleased physical device, alongside sensitive engineering blueprints, project directories, and confidential hardware supplier lists. OpenAI noted that the stolen cache also featured highly specific manufacturing parameters, such as internal standards for cosmetic finishes and technical engineering reports regarding the specialized coating and sealing of hardware components.

OpenAI directly connected the former employee's presentation to Apple's newly announced push into artificial intelligence hardware, which features the HomeView smart display unveiled earlier this week. In its court documents, OpenAI expressed severe concern that its confidential trade secrets are currently "circulating inside Apple, where Apple engineers can shape Apple's upcoming products" based on OpenAI's proprietary design work.

Although rumors surrounding Apple's smart display development have circulated for years alongside its typically long product development schedules, this filing shifts the focus of the court battle. Apple had previously leveled similar counter-accusations against OpenAI, claiming the AI startup stole proprietary documents and spied on hardware prototypes to assist its own product expansion. Apple did not immediately respond to inquiries regarding OpenAI's latest allegations.