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Or sign-in if you have an account.Apple last week launched a blockbuster lawsuit accusing OpenAI and two employees of stealing secret hardware plans. Photo by Jason Henry /BloombergApple Inc. has targeted dozens of OpenAI employees who once worked for the company with personal legal warnings as it looks for evidence to support its claims that the ChatGPT maker stole its trade secrets.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorAbout 40 former employees now working at OpenAI have been sent letters directing them to preserve documents and communications and demanding meetings with Apple’s lawyers, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.Apple and OpenAI declined to comment.Breaking business news, incisive views, must-reads and market signals. Weekdays by 9 a.m.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Posthaste will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againThe decision to hit employees with personal legal letters highlights Apple’s aggressive tactics after it last week launched a blockbuster lawsuit accusing OpenAI and two employees of stealing secret hardware plans.The clash comes as the ChatGPT maker is working with the smartphone giant’s ex-chief designer to develop its own devices.Apple claimed in its court filings that the evidence it had included was the “tip of the iceberg” regarding the alleged conduct by OpenAI. The AI lab has said that while it takes the allegations seriously, it is not aware of “any evidence that the complaint has merit.”OpenAI said it had “no interest” in other companies’ trade secrets.The lawsuit marked a spectacular breakdown in the relationship between two of the biggest names in Silicon Valley, creating a major legal problem for the start-up as it prepares for its highly anticipated initial public offering.Apple’s lawsuit claims that OpenAI’s entire hardware business is compromised by misappropriated trade secrets, creating legal complications for its plans to launch its own family of AI devices.The two companies have previously worked together to integrate OpenAI’s technology into its voice assistant Siri. But Apple has since partnered with Google on its latest features, using its models as the foundation for its ChatGPT-like voice and text assistant unveiled in June.The lawsuit filed last Friday names only two individuals, including a top Apple device designer, now OpenAI’s head of hardware. It does not name OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman or Jony Ive, former design chief at Apple, who joined the company last year when the ChatGPT maker bought his design studio io for US$6.4 billion.But in a sign of just how broad and combative the legal fight could become, shortly after filing the lawsuit Apple’s lawyers sent a barrage of individual letters to about 10 per cent of the 400 former employees who now work at OpenAI, the people said.OpenAI’s first device is expected to be a portable, palm-sized gadget for the home, similar to a smart speaker. The design does not include a screen but will incorporate a microphone and cameras that allow it to take audio and visual cues from the environment.The device will support an AI assistant that can draw on a user’s personal data and daily interactions, according to people familiar with the company’s plans. Even before the Apple lawsuit was filed, OpenAI did not expect to start shipping the device this year.OpenAI had wrestled with challenges around the personality of the assistant that balances its helpfulness with potential obtrusiveness, the FT reported last year. It has also grappled with privacy concerns and the difficulty of finding chips powerful enough to run OpenAI’s models on a mass-consumer device.Additional reporting by Daniel Thomas in London© 2026 The Financial Times Ltd Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. 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