According to reports from U.S. media outlets, on July 10 (local time), Apple formally initiated legal proceedings against OpenAI, alleging that the latter had pilfered Apple's trade secrets and intellectual property during the course of developing AI hardware devices. In the complaint lodged with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Apple asserted that it possessed substantial evidence indicating OpenAI's involvement in "premeditated theft" over a span of several months. Apple has demanded that OpenAI immediately halt the relevant activities, destroy all proprietary materials in its possession, and undertake a comprehensive redesign of its forthcoming products to guarantee the absence of Apple's proprietary technology.

Apple further accused OpenAI's Chief Hardware Officer, Tang Tan, along with former Apple engineer Liu Chang and other individuals, of clandestinely acquiring confidential information pertaining to unreleased products, component blueprints, and manufacturing processes through various means, including interviews and resignations. Additionally, Apple alleged that OpenAI had misled its supply chain partners into incorporating Apple's technology and had poached in excess of 400 former Apple employees. Despite prior attempts to resolve the dispute amicably outside of court, Apple received no response, which ultimately led to the decision to pursue legal action.