Apple sues OpenAI over trade secrets, targets hardware chief Tang Tan

Apple filed a lawsuit Friday against OpenAI in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, accusing the AI company of trade secret theft and breach of contract. The complaint centers on Chief Hardware Officer Tang Tan, whom Apple says used confidential project code names while recruiting Apple engineers and coached departing employees to bypass security protocols. Apple also names Chang Liu, a former employee who allegedly kept an Apple laptop and downloaded confidential technical documents after joining OpenAI in 2026. The legal action underscores the high-stakes competition for hardware talent in the AI industry.

This case is part of a broader trend of AI companies poaching top engineers from legacy tech giants, often leading to intellectual property disputes. By targeting a high-profile executive like Tang Tan, Apple aims to send a message about protecting its hardware roadmap—especially its secretive AI chip and device projects. The outcome could set a precedent for how trade secret laws apply to employee movement in the fast-moving AI sector, where proprietary hardware designs are increasingly critical for competitive advantage.