Apple lawsuit accuses OpenAI of seeking prototypes during job interviews

Apple accused OpenAI on Friday of telling Apple employees interviewing for jobs to bring confidential prototypes, engineering artifacts and hardware components to interviews as part of an effort to accelerate the artificial intelligence company’s push into consumer devices.

The allegation is among the most explosive claims in a sweeping trade secrets lawsuit Apple filed in federal court against OpenAI, former Apple executives and engineers, accusing them of systematically misappropriating confidential information to build OpenAI’s hardware business.

“At Apple, our teams are constantly developing breakthrough technologies to create the best products and services in the world, and protecting their work and intellectual property is something we take very seriously,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement to FOX Business.

“Recently, significant evidence has emerged suggesting individuals employed by OpenAI wrongfully took Apple’s secret and confidential information regarding our unreleased technologies, processes, and products. We will always defend our teams’ hard work and innovations, and we are taking all appropriate steps to do so.”

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The Apple logo is seen at an Apple store in the Barton Creek Square mall on April 30, 2026, in Austin, Texas.  (Brandon Bell/Getty Images / Getty Images)

An OpenAI spokesperson did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.

According to Apple’s complaint, OpenAI instructed candidates to prepare “Technical Deep Dive” presentations on their Apple work and to bring “CAD/design artifacts,” “prototypes” and “Actual parts” to interviews. Apple alleges candidates were specifically asked to bring batteries, systems-in-package, multi-layer logic boards, shields and other hardware components for “show and tell” sessions with interviewers.

Apple also alleges Tang Yew Tan, Apple’s former vice president of product design for the iPhone and Apple Watch who is now OpenAI’s chief hardware officer, used confidential Apple project codenames during interviews to question candidates about unreleased Apple products.

One Apple employee allegedly responded that he “didn’t even know we could take those from the office,” according to the complaint.

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OpenAI logo is seen in this illustration taken on February 16, 2025.  (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic / Reuters)

The iPhone maker alleges the recruiting practices were part of a broader strategy to obtain Apple’s trade secrets as OpenAI races to develop its own consumer hardware. Apple says OpenAI now employs more than 400 former Apple workers, including engineers involved in hardware development.

The lawsuit…