OpenAI Accuses Former Employee of Stealing Product Files and Presenting Them to Apple
In a legal filing dated Wednesday, October 2026, OpenAI accused a former employee of sending over 100 confidential files to a personal account before presenting them to Apple leadership. The files allegedly included unreleased-device images, supplier data, and engineering details.
OpenAI has accused a former employee of taking more than 100 confidential files related to its product plans and presenting them to Apple leadership before joining the company. The accusation was made in a legal filing submitted on Wednesday, October 2026.
According to the filing — reported earlier by Reuters — the unnamed former employee allegedly sent the files to a personal account before sharing them with Apple leadership, including the vice president of Apple’s operations in Asia. OpenAI claims the stolen files contained images of at least one unreleased device, supplier information, engineering data, project files, cosmetic finish standards, and reports on the “coating and sealing of hardware components.”
OpenAI also connects the alleged theft to Apple’s recently announced HomeView smart display and a range of other new devices. “That presentation appears to have happened months ago — and now, armed with that information, Apple is making a new push into AI-enabled products,” OpenAI stated in the filing, citing a company announcement about Apple’s new product releases.
The filing is part of a broader legal dispute between the two companies over trade secrets. Apple, for its part, has accused OpenAI of stealing its confidential documents and spying on hardware prototypes to help build its own products.
OpenAI stated it is “very concerned that its trade secret and confidential information is now circulating inside Apple, where Apple engineers can shape Apple’s upcoming products based on OpenAI’s confidential and innovative work.” Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It is worth noting that Apple’s product development timelines are typically lengthy, and its smart display had been rumored for years before this week’s announcement, which may complicate OpenAI’s claim that the presentation directly influenced Apple’s product roadmap.