- Apple alleged that a defendant in its trade secret case against OpenAI accessed a power converter circuit schematic while at OpenAI, according to a filing in U.S. federal court.
- Chang Liu, a former Apple senior system electrical engineer, accessed the circuit and trained an AI agent using proprietary Apple information in March 2026.
- New evidence came to light from a MacBook computer OpenAI provided to Apple on August 21 as part of legal proceedings.
- Apple is asking a U.S. federal court to expedite discovery proceedings in the trade secret case against OpenAI.
- OpenAI has sought to dismiss Apple's lawsuit, saying it is building products that are 'entirely new.'
Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that Chang Liu, a former senior system electrical engineer, accessed proprietary power converter circuit schematics while employed at OpenAI. The company claims Liu trained an AI agent using this confidential information in March 2026.1245
The allegations emerged from a MacBook computer that OpenAI provided to Apple on August 21, which contained evidence supporting the claims. Apple is now requesting that a U.S. federal court expedite the discovery process in this trade secret case.3
OpenAI has responded by seeking to dismiss the lawsuit, asserting that it is developing products that are "entirely new." The company did not immediately comment on the allegations.
This case highlights ongoing tensions in the tech industry regarding the protection of intellectual property and trade secrets, particularly as companies increasingly compete in the AI space. Apple’s move to expedite discovery indicates the seriousness with which it views the potential breach of its proprietary information.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the implications for both companies could be significant, potentially affecting their competitive positions in the rapidly evolving technology landscape.
“The alleged access occurred in March 2026, and Apple says the evidence emerged from a MacBook OpenAI provided on August 21. OpenAI has moved to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing its products are "entirely new," and has not yet commented on the new allegations.”
