OpenAI's Hardware Chief Allegedly Solicited Physical Prototypes From Active Apple Employees During Interviews

Apple's 41-page complaint filed against OpenAI on July 10 alleges that chief hardware officer Tang Yew Tan—a 24-year Apple veteran most recently VP of design for iPhone and Apple Watch—directed job candidates still employed at Apple to bring "actual parts," CAD designs, and prototypes to OpenAI interviews. The allegation moves beyond typical departing-employee trade secret disputes into recruitment-stage misappropriation, testing whether hiring practices themselves can constitute actionable theft.