A U.S. judge has ordered OpenAI to provide Apple with expedited access to hiring records and interview materials as part of an ongoing trade secrets lawsuit filed by Apple in July. The court ruled that Apple may view documents related to OpenAI's interviews with former Apple employees who applied for roles in consumer hardware and robotics, as OpenAI develops its own potential rival hardware device.
Under the court order, OpenAI must turn over already collected materials within five days and any remaining requested documents within 14 days. The ruling also grants Apple access to private LINE messages and approves depositions for three former Apple employees now working at OpenAI, including chief hardware officer Tang Yew Tan, Chang Liu, and Alyssa Peng. However, the judge denied Apple's broader requests for immediate access to OpenAI's research and development data in areas like power management and metal finishes.
The lawsuit stems from Apple accusations that OpenAI engaged in a pattern of theft, alleging that former employees downloaded confidential material on Apple laptops and coached others on what proprietary information to bring to interviews. While the judge rejected several of Apple's wider discovery requests, he left the door open for Apple to narrow its proposals and submit them again. This legal battle highlights the intensifying corporate competition as AI companies move into consumer hardware.