苹果诉OpenAI窃密案六大惊人指控

当苹果员工面试OpenAI的职位时，这家AI初创公司的硬件负责人据说要求他们带一些不同寻常的东西：他们正在开发的组件和未发布的产品样品。根据苹果提出的一起重大诉讼：https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28453238-complaint-for-trade-secret-misappropriation-and-breach-of-contract/，苹果指控OpenAI窃取机密文件：/tech/964350/apple-openai-lawsuit-trade-secrets、监视硬件原型，并诱使其一位可信任的合作伙伴执行专有产品设计技术。

诉讼主要围绕三个人的被指控行为展开：

他们被指控参与了一个持续的计划，以在OpenAI计划推出其首款AI硬件设备时窃取苹果的机密信息，该设备预计明年发布。

以下是苹果41页诉状中最令人惊讶的指控。

在宣布计划离开苹果后，据称刘没有回应签署保密提醒、安排离职面谈或确认归还公司设备的请求，这是苹果离职流程的标准操作。相反，苹果声称刘“未归还至少一台苹果公司拥有的电脑”，并告诉另一名员工彭，他还有“另一台电脑”。

据称，刘在离职数周后仍访问苹果的基于云的网络存储，利用苹果未发现的认证漏洞。苹果称：“刘先生与彭女士庆祝这一发现，并开始利用它：‘笑死，我发现我可以访问[网络存储]，太好笑了。’ 彭女士的回应立即到来：‘我准备好了。’”

苹果指控刘从其存储系统下载了数十份机密文件，包括包含技术规格、未发布产品细节和工程演示的文件，其中一份文件详细说明了苹果主逻辑板的制造和测试。

在刘离开后的几个月里，彭据称一直让刘了解苹果的项目、工程细节以及供应商关系。“彭女士和刘先生会深入讨论那些机密项目，而刘先生当时正在开发OpenAI的竞争硬件，”苹果声称。“刘在OpenAI的工作是通过彭女士不断传来的苹果商业机密信息进行的。”

苹果还声称，刘向彭提供了如何访问和复制苹果设备上的文件的指导，目的是“避免与安全团队出现问题”，同时指向她“具体的苹果项目文件夹和专有工程数据。”彭在2026年4月离开苹果加入OpenAI。

谭被控在面试OpenAI求职者时索取苹果商业机密——并对他们进行相关提问。苹果声称，刘告诉彭另一名前苹果员工如何“在谭问及‘一款未发布新苹果产品的绝密项目’的问题时回答失误。”随后刘据称利用他对苹果网络的访问权限下载了“部分信息”，以帮助彭准备面试。

在另一个案例中，苹果声称另一名前员工在参加OpenAI面试前开始“截屏并下载与高度机密苹果项目相关的文件”。谭被控在面试中询问有关该项目的更多信息。去年，谭承认在加入Ive的io之前收到了一个AI硬件初创公司的[机密信息](https://news/706552/iyo-sues-former-employee-who-shared-secrets-to-get-job-at-io)。

除了索取苹果秘密项目的更多信息外，谭还被控告诉面试者从他们在苹果的工作中带来硬件组件和产品样品用于“展示和说明环节”。

例如，在苹果下发的工作设备上留下的消息显示，谭先生指示一名苹果员工“带一些她参与过的零件”，如“电池”、“SIP（封装系统）”“mlb（多层或主逻辑板）”以及“屏蔽件”，并表示可能“向其他面试官展示这些苹果零件会很好”。

此外，OpenAI还被指控要求面试者准备“技术深入分析”演示，幻灯片中揭示了他们在苹果工作时的机密信息。

苹果声称，谭保留了一份内部文件，其中概述了员工离职的流程。据称，OpenAI 使用这些信息来提醒从苹果跳槽过来的员工公司安全检查的情况，并“指导”他们如何规避这些检查。

这家 AI 巨头还建议即将离开苹果的员工不要透露他们的新雇主，并提供了如何避免 “可怕的直接开除” 的建议，诉讼称，这种开除会导致员工立即被公司除名，阻止他们在标准的两周时间内访问苹果系统。OpenAI 被指示员工不要在离职面谈时“签署任何文件”，如果被要求签署文件，要立即告知 OpenAI。

在诉讼中，苹果表示，OpenAI 所谓的策略“似乎达到了预期效果”。苹果声称，它注意到“最近出现了一种趋势，即离开苹果去 OpenAI 的员工正在采取措施规避安全措施”，包括员工“忽视安保人员安排离职流程和安全检查的联系”。

苹果声称 OpenAI 利用其机密信息接触了其“可信合作伙伴”，其中包括一家为其产品进行专有多步骤金属加工工艺的公司。据称，OpenAI 误导了苹果的合作伙伴，使该公司误以为 OpenAI 已获得苹果允许使用该金属加工技术。苹果表示：“苹果从未授予 OpenAI 或 io 使用或许可任何苹果的商业机密或机密信息，包括交予该合作伙伴的资料。”

苹果还指控 OpenAI 接触了至少另一家与苹果在电源和电池相关制造方面合作的供应商。据称，OpenAI 利用机密信息和内部代号提出了关于苹果组件的“有针对性的问题”，这些问题“可能有助于推进 OpenAI 在硬件方面的目标”。

OpenAI 发言人 Drew Pusateri 周五向《The Verge》提供了以下声明：“我们对其他公司的商业机密没有兴趣。我们仍专注于构建创新技术，让全球的每个人都能受益。”

When Apple employees interviewed for jobs at OpenAI, the AI startup’s hardware head allegedly asked them to show up with something unusual: components they were working on and unreleased product samples. That’s according to a blockbuster lawsuit：https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28453238-complaint-for-trade-secret-misappropriation-and-breach-of-contract/ filed by Apple, which accuses OpenAI of stealing confidential documents：/tech/964350/apple-openai-lawsuit-trade-secrets, spying on hardware prototypes, and tricking one of its trusted partners into performing a proprietary product design technique.

The lawsuit primarily revolves around the alleged actions of three people:

They’re accused of being part of an ongoing scheme to steal Apple’s secrets as OpenAI plans its first AI hardware device, which is supposed to be coming next year.

Here are the most surprising claims in Apple’s 41-page filing.

After announcing plans to leave Apple, Liu allegedly didn’t respond to requests to sign a confidentiality reminder, schedule an exit interview, or confirm that he returned company-owned devices, as is standard with departures at Apple. Instead, Apple claims Liu “failed to return at least one Apple-owned computer,” and told another employee, Peng, that he still has “another computer.”

Liu also allegedly accessed Apple’s cloud-based network storage weeks after he left the company, using an authentication vulnerability that Apple didn’t know about. “Mr. Liu celebrated his find with Ms. Peng and set about exploiting it: ‘LOL, I found out I can access the [network storage], so funny,’” Apple claims. “Ms. Peng’s response was immediate: “‘I’m ready.’”

Apple accuses Liu of downloading dozens of confidential files from its storage system, including documents containing technical specifications, details about unreleased products, and engineering presentations, including one detailing the manufacturing and testing of Apple’s main logic boards.

In the months following Liu’s departure, Peng allegedly kept Liu in the loop about Apple’s projects, engineering details, and vendor relationships. “Ms. Peng and Mr. Liu would engage in depth about those confidential projects, while Mr. Liu was working on developing OpenAI’s competing hardware,” Apple claims. “Mr. Liu’s work for OpenAI was informed by a steadily flowing stream of Apple’s trade secret information from Ms. Peng.”

Apple also claims that Liu informed Peng on how to access and copy files from Apple’s devices “to avoid trouble with the security team,” while pointing her to “specific Apple project folders and proprietary engineering data.” Peng departed Apple for OpenAI in April 2026.

Tan is accused of soliciting Apple’s trade secrets during interviews with OpenAI job candidates — and quizzing them on it. Apple claims Liu told Peng about how another former Apple employee “fumbled” his answers to a question Tan asked about “a top-secret project for an unreleased new Apple product.” Liu then allegedly downloaded “some info” using his access to Apple’s network to help Peng prepare for her interview.

In another instance, Apple claims another former employee began “screenshotting and downloading files relating to a highly confidential Apple project” before an interview with OpenAI. Tan is accused of asking for more information about that same project during the interview. Last year, Tan admitted to receiving：/news/706552/iyo-sues-former-employee-who-shared-secrets-to-get-job-at-io confidential information about an AI hardware startup before joining Ive’s io.

Aside from asking for more information about Apple’s secret projects, Tan is accused of telling interviewees to bring hardware components and product samples from their work at Apple for “show and tell sessions.”

For example, messages left on an Apple-issued work device show that Mr. Tan instructed an Apple employee to “bring some parts [she] worked on” such as “Batteries,” “SIP” (Systems-in-Package), “mlb” (multi-layer or main logic boards), and “shields” and that it may “be good to show” other interviewers these Apple components.

Additionally, OpenAI is accused of asking interviewees to prepare “Technical Deep Dive” presentations, with slides revealing confidential information from their work at Apple.

Apple claims Tan kept an internal document that outlines employee offboarding procedures. OpenAI allegedly used this information to warn employees coming from Apple about the company’s security checks and “coached” them on how to avoid it.

The AI giant also advised departing Apple workers not to disclose their new employer and also offered tips on how to avoid a “dreaded walk out,” which would result in their immediate removal from the company, preventing them from accessing Apple’s systems for a standard two weeks, the lawsuit alleges. OpenAI is accused of telling Apple employees not to “sign anything at the exit interview,” and if they’re asked to sign a document, to tell OpenAI “asap.”

In the lawsuit, Apple says that OpenAI’s alleged tactics “appear to be having their desired effect.” Apple claims it has noticed “a recent trend of employees who are leaving Apple for OpenAI and taking steps to evade security measures,” including workers “ignoring outreach by security personnel to schedule exit processes and security reviews.”

Apple claims OpenAI has used its confidential information to approach its “trusted partners,” including one that carries out a proprietary, multi-step metal-finishing technique for its products. OpenAI allegedly misled Apple’s partner, making the company believe that OpenAI had Apple’s permission to use the metal-finishing technique. “Apple has not given OpenAI or io permission to use or a license to any of Apple’s trade secrets or confidential information, including those it has entrusted with this partner,” Apple says.

Apple also accuses OpenAI of approaching “at least” one other supplier that works with Apple on manufacturing related to power and batteries. OpenAI allegedly used confidential information and internal codenames to ask “targeted questions” about Apple’s components “that would be useful in furthering OpenAI’s hardware ambitions.”

OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri provided this statement to The Verge on Friday: “We have no interest in other companies’ trade secrets. We remain focused on building innovative technology that empowers people everywhere.”