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Apple Finds “Shocking Evidence” in Ex-Employee's MacBook
Apple claims a former engineer transferred confidential Apple trade secrets to his personal MacBook, which were then allegedly integrated into OpenAI's systems.
What: Apple is seeking accelerated discovery in a trade-secret lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that former engineer Chang Liu used internal Apple files in his work at OpenAI and attempted to destroy evidence.
Why it matters: This underscores the intensifying legal focus on data provenance and intellectual property migration as AI engineers move between hyperscalers and top-tier labs.
Deep dive
- Apple alleges Liu accessed proprietary engineering files shortly before his departure.
- Claims include the use of software sharing names with internal Apple tools within OpenAI's environment.
- Apple argues that immediate discovery is necessary to determine if its trade secrets are currently embedded in live AI systems.
- Liu is accused of attempting to delete forensic evidence during Apple's internal investigation.
Original article
Apple says new forensic evidence from a former engineer's laptop strengthens its trade-secret theft lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that ex-employee Chang Liu used confidential Apple engineering files in his OpenAI work, discussed the unauthorized data access internally, instructed a colleague to destroy evidence during Apple's investigation, and worked with a tool sharing the name of an internal Apple application—claims Apple argues justify accelerated discovery because the alleged trade secrets may already have been incorporated into AI systems.
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