Apple Sues OpenAI, Former Employees Over Alleged Trade Secret Theft Apple has filed a federal lawsuit against OpenAI, two of its former employees, and io Products, accusing the AI company of systematically stealing confidential information through the recruitment of Apple insiders. The lawsuit, submitted on Friday, alleges that OpenAI engaged in a "pattern of theft" of Apple’s proprietary product development data, internal communications, and sensitive business strategies. The company claims that former Apple employees who joined OpenAI exploited their access to "sensitive projects, trusted partner relationships, proprietary manufacturing techniques, and unreleased products" to benefit the rival firm’s efforts to enter the consumer hardware market. At the center of the dispute are Chang Liu, a senior electrical engineer who spent eight years at Apple, and Tang Yew Tan, a former vice president of design for iPhone and Apple Watch who worked at the company for 24 years. Tan is now OpenAI’s chief hardware officer. According to Apple, these individuals allegedly used their access to Apple’s internal systems to email themselves confidential information, including details about unreleased products and operational strategies. The lawsuit also names io Products, the design startup co-founded by Jony Ive, a former Apple executive, which OpenAI acquired last year. Apple alleges that OpenAI’s recruitment practices further facilitated the theft. The company claims that during interviews with current Apple employees, OpenAI interviewers allegedly asked candidates to "bring 'actual parts' as 'props' from Apple for 'show and tell,'" a tactic designed to extract proprietary information. Apple asserts that these actions were part of a coordinated effort by OpenAI and its affiliates to exploit Apple’s confidential data for competitive advantage.#apple #openai #jony_ive #chang_liu #tang_yew_tan
Lamborghini CEO Defends Plug-In Hybrid Strategy Amid Ferrari’s Electric Vehicle Controversy Ferrari’s unveiling of its first all-electric vehicle, the Luce, in May 2026 at the Vela di Calatrava, Città dello Sport in Rome sparked significant backlash, prompting rival automaker Lamborghini’s CEO, Stephan Winkelmann, to publicly endorse his company’s decision to abandon full-electric vehicle development in favor of plug-in hybrid models. Winkelmann, speaking exclusively to CNBC, emphasized that each brand must chart its own path, stating, “every brand, every company has to decide for themselves.” His remarks came after Lamborghini announced it would cancel its all-electric Lanzador and a hybrid version of its Urus SUV, redirecting resources toward plug-in hybrid technology. The Luce, designed by former Apple chief Jony Ive, marked Ferrari’s bold shift toward electrification. However, the vehicle’s minimalist interior, featuring screens and a bubbly, unconventional exterior, drew sharp criticism from fans and industry figures. Ferrari’s stock plummeted following the reveal, with shares falling 8% in Milan and 5.3% in New York. Analysts attributed the decline partly to “design hate,” with Michael Field of Morningstar noting that many Ferrari enthusiasts feared the EV concept diluted the brand’s identity as a symbol of classic supercar design and combustion-engine power. Winkelmann declined to directly address the Luce or its reception, but he reiterated that innovation must align with market demands rather than being driven by trends. “By observing the market, we saw that the acceptance curve [of EVs] for our type of customers is not increasing,” he explained. “Therefore, we decided to move away from a full-electric car into a plug-in hybrid.#ferrari #lamborghini #stephan_winkelmann #jony_ive #volkswagen_group
