Apple Sues OpenAI Over Alleged Trade Secret Theft via Poached Employees
- Published
- Jul 11, 2026 — 06:56 UTC
Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging a “coordinated campaign” to steal trade secrets by poaching employees, including Tang Tan, the former iPhone design chief now at OpenAI. Currently, approximately 400 ex-Apple employees are employed at OpenAI. This legal action comes as OpenAI anticipates shipping its first hardware product by 2027. The lawsuit highlights the ongoing tensions between tech giants over talent acquisition and intellectual property, following Apple’s previous concerns about employee transitions to competitors. For AI practitioners, this lawsuit may influence hiring strategies and partnerships within the industry, particularly regarding talent from major tech firms. Details of the lawsuit’s filing date have not been disclosed. The Decoder reported.
By Callan Zhang · Jul 11, 2026 · Editorial standards →
Summarised from the primary source with AI assistance under human editorial oversight. Turing Wire is not a primary source — read the original for the authoritative account.
Source: The Decoder