The legal dispute between Apple and OpenAI is widening. Apple has sent letters to around 40 former employees who now work at OpenAI, requesting them to secure any potential evidence – a signal that the company is significantly broadening its list of suspects compared to the original lawsuit.
Last week, Apple sued OpenAI for the alleged theft of trade secrets, accusing the AI company of deliberately obtaining confidential hardware development information. Now, the next step has been taken: According to a report in the Financial Times, Apple has sent letters to approximately 40 former OpenAI employees, requesting them to retain potentially relevant documents and communications. The company apparently believes that the alleged disclosure of confidential information extends beyond the individuals named.
What Apple demands of its former employees
The so-called evidence preservation letters obligate recipients not to delete documents and messages that could be relevant to the proceedings. The fact that Apple is contacting around 40 people at once demonstrates the company's intent: In its complaint, the corporation refers to the evidence uncovered so far as "the tip of the iceberg," indicating that it assumes a broader pattern than isolated incidents. The number of over 400 former Apple employees at OpenAI underscores the size of the potential pool of people involved.
What the legal dispute is about
At the heart of the lawsuit are two former Apple executives. Tang Tan, now Chief Hardware Officer at OpenAI, worked at Apple for 24 years and was most recently responsible for the product design of the iPhone and Apple Watch before leaving the company. Chang Liu worked for eight years as an electrical engineer at Apple and joined OpenAI in January 2026; Apple accuses him of failing to return a company laptop and downloading confidential hardware files. In addition to OpenAI, its hardware subsidiary io Products is also involved in the lawsuit. Apple sees these actions as a coordinated effort concerning product design, manufacturing processes, and supply chain strategies.
OpenAI rejects the allegations
OpenAI has rejected the accusations, stating that it sees no evidence to support the claims. It has no interest in the trade secrets of other companies. The allegations have not yet been legally reviewed – they represent the account of one party to the dispute, and a court will have to rule on them.
What's at stake for OpenAI's hardware
Apple is seeking a preliminary injunction to prohibit OpenAI from accessing Apple information during the development of its AI hardware device. Such a ruling could significantly hinder OpenAI's fledgling hardware division—the very division that is slated to produce its first device, a speaker with a camera. The dispute is particularly sensitive because the two companies collaborated closely until recently: OpenAI provides the technology behind the ChatGPT integration in Apple Intelligence and Siri. However, according to Apple, the ChatGPT collaboration itself is not the subject of the lawsuit.
A conflict that continues to grow
With the letters of evidence sent to dozens of additional employees, it appears the case is expanding beyond the two individuals originally named. Apple sees a widespread pattern, while OpenAI considers the lawsuit unfounded. Until a court ruling, the conflict between the former partners is likely to intensify rather than diminish. (Image: Shutterstock / LoveMetaverse)
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