AI: OpenAI Takes Its Clash with Apple Public

OpenAI has released emails and messages from former Apple employees to contest a secret business complaint filed in July 2026. Sam Altman's company accuses the California group of presenting inaccurate facts before taking legal action.

In brief

• OpenAI issues a detailed response to Apple's complaint and publishes private exchanges to support its version of events.
• Apple accuses OpenAI, two former executives, and io Products of misappropriating secrets related to its hardware projects.
• OpenAI claims that Apple employees continued to solicit a former engineer after his departure.

OpenAI Turns a Legal Procedure into a Public Battle

The dispute centers on OpenAI's hardware strategy, which accelerated after the acquisition of Jony Ive's startup in 2025. This offensive is part of the race for artificial intelligence and now compels the company to publicly defend its recruitment methods and data protection practices.

In a post published by OpenAI, the company accuses Apple of confusing two employees with similar names. It also reproaches Apple for incorrectly claiming that its teams did not respond to solicitations and that Apple's lawyers had communicated with Che Chang, OpenAI's legal director, before filing the complaint.

OpenAI accompanies this response with emails, text messages, and a detailed argument. The decision to publish these elements shifts the debate out of the courtroom, as both groups are already vying for a place in future consumer devices equipped with AI.

Apple Accuses Two Former Employees of Retaining Sensitive Information

Apple accuses OpenAI, former engineer Chang Liu, former design head Tang Tan, and io Products of using trade secrets related to its equipment. The complaint links these accusations to the development of OpenAI's hardware products following the acquisition of Jony Ive's startup in 2025.

Apple claims that Chang Liu retained a professional computer after his departure. The company also accuses him of exploiting an authentication flaw to access internal systems and download confidential engineering documents.

The complaint also targets Tang Tan. Apple asserts that the former executive used confidential information to serve OpenAI's hardware projects. It further believes that the company's recruitment process may have encouraged candidates to bring sensitive documents.

In Decrypt's article on Apple's complaint, OpenAI disputes each of these claims. The company specifically states that Apple contacted the wrong person after mixing up two employees with similar names. This error, according to OpenAI, undermines the interpretation that the group makes of the exchanges between former employees and the company.

iMessage Exchanges at the Heart of OpenAI's Defense

OpenAI has published exchanges between Chang Liu and Apple employees after his departure in January. These conversations show, according to the company, that employees were asking him to locate files, transfer documents, or answer technical questions.

OpenAI relies on these requests to support a specific thesis. Apple employees would have continued to depend on Liu's access, while the still-active accesses would have resulted from the departure process implemented by Apple, rather than a deliberate intention to retain confidential information.

The company distinguishes Tang Tan's case. It claims to have repeatedly reminded the former executive that he should neither bring nor use confidential data from his previous employer. OpenAI therefore considers Apple's request for a preliminary injunction unnecessary, as this measure could limit its activities during the proceedings.

In summary, OpenAI is trying to regain the initiative through three levers: the publication of private messages, the contestation of factual errors, and the defense of its hardware project. Apple must now respond in the judicial arena, while the battle is part of the transformations related to AI that are already reshaping the tech industry. The procedure is just beginning.