Apple has intensified its trade-secrets lawsuit against OpenAI, telling a court that forensic evidence from a former employee’s company laptop shows confidential Apple material was allegedly used after he joined the AI company — and that evidence was later targeted for destruction.
The dispute centers on former Apple engineer Chang Liu, who left the company for OpenAI in January 2026. Apple says a forensic review of his Apple-issued MacBook found that Liu downloaded a confidential Apple circuit schematic and later used that design in his work at OpenAI.
TechCrunch reports that Apple also alleges Liu used a tool sharing the name of an internal Apple engineering application. The allegations have not been proven in court.
Apple Says Evidence Was Being Destroyed
Apple is calling the new material “shocking evidence” and claims Liu and others at OpenAI knew he retained unauthorized access to Apple information after leaving.
According to India Today, Apple alleges that after Liu learned he was being investigated, he sent instructions for destroying evidence to an OpenAI colleague. TechCrunch identifies that colleague as Yu-Ting Peng, saying Apple claims Liu enlisted Peng in June to help destroy evidence.
Apple’s lawyers argue that the recovered MacBook undermines claims that the company is conducting an overly broad investigation. In its filing, Apple said the computer showed its trade secrets were being used and evidence was being destroyed. Much of the newly submitted evidence remains sealed or redacted from public view.
Earlier filings also included text messages attributed to Liu containing “crying laughing” emojis, which Apple says indicated he knew he still retained access to company files after departing. Arguments on Apple’s motion are scheduled for October 1.
OpenAI Says It Does Not Want Apple’s Secrets
OpenAI has denied Apple’s allegations.
India Today shares that the AI company previously said, “We do not have, nor want, any of their trade secrets”. OpenAI has argued that Liu accessed Apple material after leaving only because former Apple colleagues asked him for assistance, and that the continued access reflected Apple’s failure to properly terminate former employees’ permissions.
Apple disputes that explanation. TechCrunch reports that Apple claims Liu maintained access because he “exploited a rare, previously unknown authentication bug” rather than merely benefiting from ordinary residual access.
More Than 400 Former Apple Employees Now Work at OpenAI
The lawsuit is unfolding as competition for hardware and AI talent intensifies.
According to Apple’s original filing, more than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI. Liu is one of them, while OpenAI has also recruited former Apple design chief Jony Ive as it develops its own hardware products.
Apple is seeking monetary damages and an injunction that would restrict OpenAI from developing hardware based on allegedly misappropriated Apple technology. TechCrunch says Apple is also asking for expedited discovery because it believes additional former employees could be implicated.
For technology companies, the broader lesson goes beyond Apple and OpenAI. As AI labs aggressively recruit engineers from competitors, offboarding, credential revocation, data-loss prevention and forensic logging become strategic infrastructure.
The fight shows that the AI talent war is no longer only about who can hire the best engineers. Companies also need systems capable of proving where proprietary knowledge ends and an employee’s transferable expertise begins — before a recruiting victory turns into a multibillion-dollar intellectual-property dispute.
