Apple Sues OpenAI Over Stolen Prototypes for Next iPhone

Apple Inc. (AAPL) sued OpenAI on July 10, accusing the AI company of stealing trade secrets related to a device designed to replace the iPhone. The 40-page complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges a coordinated campaign to poach Apple engineers and smuggle prototypes out of its labs.

Apple put ChatGPT inside the iPhone in 2024, giving OpenAI access to its hardware and software teams, the lawsuit says. The complaint cites unreturned laptops and prototypes brought to job interviews as evidence of misappropriation. A text message included in the filing shows an OpenAI recruiter telling an Apple engineer to "bring the prototype" to an interview, according to the complaint.

OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The case is Apple Inc. v. OpenAI Inc., No. 25-cv-04567.