'We're not interested in Apple's secrets': OpenAI breaks silence after lawsuit

OpenAI has officially responded to the lawsuit filed by Apple for industrial espionage. "We have no interest in the trade secrets of other companies. We remain focused on developing innovative technologies that can provide tools to people around the world." With these words, Drew Pusateri, Director of Strategic Communications at OpenAI, publicly rejected all allegations.

The case originated from a complaint filed by Apple, which claims that former employees Chang Liu and Tang Tan withheld confidential information during their employment at Apple to subsequently use it for the benefit of OpenAI's hardware initiatives and io Products, the company led by former Apple Chief Design Officer Jony Ive, which was acquired by the artificial intelligence startup.

According to the lawsuit, Apple describes what it defines as a "model of appropriating trade secrets" by former employees who later became involved with OpenAI. The company further claims that such behavior was tolerated or even encouraged by the project’s management.

Among the allegations are purported unauthorized access to Apple’s internal systems and the downloading of confidential documentation related to hardware product development. The company also states that some candidates were encouraged to come to job interviews with prototypes, components, and information regarding yet-to-be-announced products, production processes, and sensitive technical details. According to Apple, this information was then used to facilitate contacts with suppliers already involved in its supply chain.

OpenAI has chosen to respond succinctly but firmly. Through Pusateri, the company stated that it is not interested in acquiring or using trade secrets belonging to other companies and wishes to concentrate its resources solely on the development of new technologies.

This is not the first time that OpenAI’s hardware initiatives and io Products have been associated with controversies of this kind. Previously, the startup iyO also initiated a dispute against OpenAI and io Products, initially focused on the use of the brand and later expanded, in March 2026, to include allegations of trade secret misappropriation.

In that lawsuit, Tang Tan was also involved. According to iyO, a former engineer of the company downloaded confidential documents to then pass them to the former Apple executive. On that occasion, OpenAI had also contested the allegations, denying any wrongdoing.

The new lawsuit initiated by Apple therefore represents another legal battle for OpenAI in the hardware sector, just as the company accelerates work on future artificial intelligence-based devices developed alongside the team led by Jony Ive. For now, the accusations brought forth by Apple remain to be proven in court, while OpenAI continues to reject all charges.