Apple accused former engineer Chang Liu of accessing a confidential Apple power-converter circuit schematic after joining OpenAI and using the proprietary information to train an artificial intelligence agent. The allegation emerged in a new court filing dated August 31, 2026, in Apple’s ongoing trade secret lawsuit against OpenAI.
According to the filing, Apple’s forensic team found evidence of the alleged misuse while examining a MacBook that OpenAI handed over on August 21 as part of the discovery process. Apple is now asking the court to expedite discovery so it can obtain evidence and testimony faster than the standard timeline.
The alleged access took place in March 2026, two months after Liu joined OpenAI in January. Liu spent eight years at Apple as a senior systems electrical engineer. Apple’s original complaint, filed on July 10, 2026, already accused him of failing to return an Apple-issued laptop and using an authentication bug to access Apple’s internal network.
The latest filing makes a more specific allegation: Apple says Liu did not merely download confidential files but used a power-converter circuit schematic for AI training while working at OpenAI.
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Apple’s broader lawsuit names OpenAI, io Products, Chang Liu and Tang Yew Tan as defendants. Apple accuses them of a coordinated effort to obtain confidential information about hardware, manufacturing, and the supply chain. Tang Yew Tan, OpenAI’s chief hardware officer and a roughly 24-year Apple veteran, faces allegations involving confidential project codenames, parts, CAD files and prototypes during hiring.
OpenAI earlier rejected Apple’s broader claims. The company said it does not want or use other companies’ trade secrets and is developing products that are ‘entirely new.’ OpenAI also argued that former Apple employees retained access to certain files because Apple failed to properly revoke their access after their departures.
OpenAI did not directly respond to the August 31 filing at the time of the report. A formal response to Apple’s related discovery request is expected around September 4, 2026.
The case, filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California under case number 5:26-cv-07078, remains contested. No court ruling on the underlying allegations or a trial date has been reported. The claims remain allegations, not findings of fact.