Apple Is Treating OpenAI Like the Next Android

Apple is suing OpenAI, and it might not just be about trade secrets.

The Wall Street Journal argues that this lawsuit follows the same playbook Apple used to slow down Android. Steve Jobs once threatened to wage “thermonuclear war” on Android, and Apple spent eight years suing Samsung and other manufacturers.

This time, OpenAI’s AI hardware hasn’t even shipped yet, and Apple is already striking preemptively. The lawsuit could slow OpenAI’s ability to recruit Apple employees and add legal risk to its hardware development.

OpenAI has entered the hardware market by acquiring io Products, the company founded by Jony Ive. Its goal is to build devices that reduce users’ dependence on phone screens. Apple’s own AI products are progressing slowly, so it needs even more time to prepare for the next wave of device competition.

But lawsuits can only hold back rivals — they can’t build Apple’s next great product. Whether Apple can defend the iPhone ultimately depends on its products.