Apple accuses OpenAI of soliciting hardware prototypes in job interviews

Apple filed a trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI on July 13, alleging the AI company systematically solicited confidential hardware prototypes from Apple employees during job interviews. According to the federal court complaint, OpenAI's hardware division head instructed candidates to bring components they were working on and unreleased product samples to interview sessions.

The lawsuit details six categories of alleged misconduct, including claims that OpenAI employees joked internally about unauthorized access to Apple's systems. Apple alleges some departing engineers transferred confidential documents to personal devices before joining OpenAI, and that the startup used those materials to accelerate its own hardware development efforts. The complaint does not specify which Apple products or technologies are at the center of the dispute.

Systematic recruitment pattern

Apple's filing describes a pattern of behavior it characterizes as systematic. Beyond the interview requests for physical prototypes, the company claims OpenAI encouraged employees to share technical specifications, design files, and roadmap documents that were clearly marked as proprietary. The lawsuit names several former Apple engineers who moved to OpenAI's hardware team over the past 18 months, though it stops short of accusing all of them of wrongdoing.

OpenAI has been building a consumer hardware division since early 2025, hiring aggressively from Apple, Google, and Meta. The startup has not publicly announced any hardware products, but job postings and LinkedIn profiles suggest the team is working on AI-native devices that could compete with smartphones or wearables. Apple's complaint seeks an injunction blocking the use of any materials originating from Apple systems. Judge Patricia Millett in the Northern District of California is assigned to the case, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for August.