OpenAI Alleges Ex-Employee Took Unreleased Device Files to Apple

In an Oct. 14 federal court filing, OpenAI says a former employee who returned to Apple sent more than 100 confidential files about at least one unreleased OpenAI device to personal accounts and later presented product plans to Apple leadership. Apple says it has found no evidence supporting the claims.

Update (Oct. 15, 2026, 12:35 PM ET): At an Oct. 14 hearing, after U.S. District Judge Edward Davila said he was “highly likely” to grant Apple’s request for a preliminary injunction, OpenAI voluntarily agreed not to use the information Apple says was taken while the case proceeds, and to collect forensic images of devices from 14 employees that may hold Apple’s confidential information, Bloomberg reported (also covered by 9to5Mac and The Verge). The judge can enforce the agreement. It is not a finding that OpenAI took Apple trade secrets. See our corrections log.

In a supplement to a joint case-management statement filed Oct. 14, 2026 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (San Jose; Case No. 5:26-cv-07078-EJD), OpenAI told the court it learned — from a "recent and ongoing forensic investigation" tied to the lawsuit — that a former OpenAI employee "sent over a hundred highly confidential files about at least one unreleased OpenAI device under development to his personal accounts."

What OpenAI alleges: The employee joined OpenAI from Apple, worked there about six months, then returned to Apple. The files allegedly include detailed images of the unreleased device(s), engineering and manufacturing data, supplier information, project files, cosmetic-finish standards, and reports on coating and sealing of hardware components. Some files, OpenAI says, were sent just after midnight in Singapore on June 2, 2026 — the employee's final day. OpenAI further says it is its "understanding" that the former employee made a presentation about OpenAI's product plans to Apple senior leadership, including Apple's vice president of operations in Asia, "months ago," and that Apple is now making a "new push into AI-enabled products," citing Apple's Home Collection / HomeView announcements.

Apple's response (reported): Through Reuters, Apple said it has policies to stop new hires from using prior employers' confidential information and that it has found no evidence supporting OpenAI's allegations. The Verge and 9to5Mac covered the filing the same day.

Context: Apple filed the underlying trade-secret suit earlier in 2026, accusing former employees of taking Apple information to OpenAI's hardware work. OpenAI has denied those claims and is asking the court for room to investigate and, if needed, pursue counterclaims. OpenAI's suggested link from the alleged presentation to Apple's new smart-home products is OpenAI's claim in the filing — not an independent finding that Apple used OpenAI secrets.

What this means for you: Everyday ChatGPT or Apple users need take no action. If you work on AI hardware or join a competitor, treat device images, supplier lists, and finish specs as highly confidential — this filing is a reminder how fast those files become legal exhibits.

OpenAI Alleges Ex-Employee Took Unreleased Device Files to Apple

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