Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI on July 10, 2026, alleging that the artificial intelligence company misappropriated Apple trade secrets to develop its own hardware. The two companies announced a partnership in 2024 that included Apple integrating OpenAI's ChatGPT into its operating systems, but later used Google's Gemini model for its voice assistant, and tensions grew after OpenAI acquired a hardware startup founded by former Apple designer Jony Ive. The complaint, filed in a California court, alleges that several former Apple employees joined OpenAI and took confidential information, including product designs and supplier data. Tang Yew Tan, OpenAI's chief hardware officer and a former Apple vice president, is accused of taking supplier information and encouraging job candidates to bring Apple parts to interviews. Chang Liu, another former Apple employee, is alleged to have taken a laptop and used an authentication bug to download dozens of Apple hardware-related files. OpenAI said it is reviewing the filing and stated it has no interest in Apple's trade secrets, emphasizing its focus on building technology for people everywhere. Apple said it takes protecting its intellectual property seriously and is seeking damages and a court order that would bar OpenAI from possessing or using its trade secrets. The lawsuit represents a new phase in the relationship between the two technology firms, which previously collaborated on AI integration, and highlights legal questions about the movement of talent and trade secrets in the AI sector.