Apple Alleges Former Engineer Used Stolen Trade Secrets to Train AI Agents at OpenAI

Apple alleges OpenAI employee accessed circuit plans after joining startup

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab on Monday alleged that a defendant in its trade secret case against ChatGPT creator OpenAI accessed a power converter circuit schematic while at OpenAI, according to a filing in U.S. federal ⁠court. *Apple alleged that Chang Liu, a former Apple senior system electrical engineer, accessed the circuit and trained an AI agent using proprietary Apple information in March 2026. *Apple says the 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." *OpenAI did ⁠not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Matthew Lewis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Apple adds more allegations to its trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI - Engadget

It claims a laptop proves that a former employee accessed and used proprietary files for the AI company. Apple offered new evidence in support of its claims that OpenAI used trade secrets taken by former employees in support its new hardware business. As part of a push to obtain expedited discovery, Apple filed a support document that revealed information found on a MacBook laptop used by a former employee after he began working at OpenAI. The filing centers on former Apple senior system electrical engineer Chang Liu. Apple's initial forensic investigation of a laptop Liu used after leaving the company alleges that the former employee knew he had access to Apple's third-party cloud storage and used it to download "dozens of confidential Apple files," including a circuit schematic. Apple further claimed that Liu used that schematic to run simulations in the course of his work for OpenAI. It claimed the laptop revealed previously unknown instances of stolen information, claiming that Liu "referred to using a tool and related software packages with names identical to proprietary internal engineering tools used at Apple." The next arguments by Apple claim that, after learning that he was the subject of its internal investigation, Liu directed a coworker at OpenAI to "restore" any Apple-issued devices, which Apple claimed was a way to erase forensic evidence that could be used against him. This is the latest salvo in a trade secret lawsuit Apple brought against OpenAI earlier this year. It requested expedited discovery earlier in August, upping the scope of its claims to include 11 former employees that it alleged shared trade secrets with OpenAI. The company responded that Apple's charges were "careless, aggressive and oddly personal," and has denied any wrongdoing.

Apple reveals 'shocking evidence' from ex-employee's MacBook in OpenAI suit

Apple has filed a new document in its ongoing lawsuit against OpenAI as it continues to push for expedited discovery. In today's filing, Apple says that it has new "shocking evidence" based on early forensic inspection of a laptop used by former engineer Chang Liu. Apple first filed the lawsuit in July, accusing ex-employees of stealing trade secrets for the benefit of OpenAI. It moved for a preliminary injunction a few weeks later, while also asking the court to expedite discovery, including early document production and depositions of key OpenAI employees and executives. Apple again emphasized the need for expedited discovery last week. OpenAI has called for dismissal. As covered before, Chang Liu is one of the parties named in Apple's lawsuit. Liu was a senior system electrical engineer at Apple who left the company for OpenAI in January. The lawsuit alleges that Liu exploited a security bug to download confidential engineering files after leaving. In today's filing, Apple says that Liu's lawyers recently handed over his MacBook that he used after leaving Apple. According to Apple, an "initial forensic analysis" of that MacBook revealed four things, quoted from Apple's filing: * Mr. Liu not only downloaded a confidential Apple circuit schematic but also used it in his work at OpenAI; * Far from his unauthorized access to Apple's third-party cloud storage being unknown to him, Mr. Liu and others at OpenAI were well-aware of that access; * Mr. Liu, upon learning of Apple's internal investigation of him, sent instructions for destroying evidence to an OpenAI colleague who confirmed she would comply; and * Mr. Liu used a tool in his work at OpenAI that has the same name as an internal Apple engineering application used for Apple development work. Apple says Liu ran a simulation in March using the circuit schematic file in LTspice, an electrical engineering tool. In messages from around that time, Liu said his AI "agent" learned to run LTspice and review the results. Apple argues that when trade secret information is fed into an AI agent or model that learns from it, that learning "may create irreversible and continually propagating uses of the trade secret." Apple says the defendants decided not to inspect the laptop and instead chose to "advance theories that the device's data disproves." The company adds this "shocking evidence" is yet another point in favor of expedited discovery in the case: "This shocking evidence -- which Defendants chose to ignore despite its availability -- demonstrates why Apple urgently needs expedited discovery. The MacBook represents the very limited information Defendants provided so far (and only after weeks of delay), and shows Apple is not conducting 'fishing expeditions' but that its trade secrets are being used and evidence is being destroyed." You can read the full filing below or via this link.

Apple Says Former Engineer Used Stolen Trade Secrets at OpenAI, Taught AI Agent to Run Them

Apple today submitted new evidence in its lawsuit against OpenAI, with the hope that the new information will persuade the judge to grant an expedited discovery process. Apple filed a theft of trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI employees Chang Liu and Tang Tan in July, accusing them of using multiple methods to steal data from Apple. Liu kept an Apple-issued MacBook after he left for OpenAI, and Apple got it back after the lawsuit was filed. Apple now says forensic analysis of the laptop has uncovered more evidence of Liu's use of Apple information and his attempts to hide what he'd done. From the lawsuit: * Mr. Liu not only downloaded a confidential Apple circuit schematic but also used it in his work at OpenAI; * Far from his unauthorized access to Apple's third-party cloud storage being unknown to him, Mr. Liu and others at OpenAI were well-aware of that access; * Mr. Liu, upon learning of Apple's internal investigation of him, sent instructions for destroying evidence to an OpenAI colleague who confirmed she would comply; and * Mr. Liu used a tool in his work at OpenAI that has the same name as an internal Apple engineering application used for Apple development work. Liu downloaded the circuit schematic from Apple in March, two months after he left the company. Liu used the schematic to run a simulation in electrical engineering tool LTspice, and then told other OpenAI employees he ran the simulation for power conversion development work. He did this on a Mac mini that synced to the MacBook he took from Apple, and Apple wants to investigate the Mac mini. Apple says the "shocking evidence" is proof that its trade secrets are in active use and evidence is being destroyed, which is why expedited discovery is needed. Apple initially asked for expedited discovery earlier this month, also requesting an injunction preventing OpenAI from using its trade secrets. OpenAI responded by asking the court to dismiss the lawsuit, claiming the accusations were "meritless."

Apple trade secret case against OpenAI: Apple alleges OpenAI employee accessed circuit plans after joining startup

Apple alleged that Chang Liu, a former Apple senior system electrical engineer, accessed the circuit and ⁠trained an AI agent using proprietary Apple information in March ⁠2026. Apple on Monday alleged that a defendant in its trade secret case against ChatGPT creator OpenAI accessed a power converter circuit ⁠schematic while ⁠at OpenAI, according to a filing in U.S. federal court. Apple alleged that Chang Liu, a former Apple senior system electrical engineer, accessed the circuit and ⁠trained an AI agent using proprietary Apple information in March ⁠2026. Apple says the 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." OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.