Apple tried to keep Jony Ive out of its lawsuit against Open AI, but the design chief may still get involved. The complaint, which accuses the company of trade‑secret theft, names io Products—a venture co‑founded by former Apple executives—but never mentions Ive. Only Tan Tan and Chang Liu are accused of wrongdoing. If Open AI seeks discovery, it could argue that Ive, who founded io Products and oversaw the hardware program at the heart of the dispute, has relevant knowledge about how the products were built and whether Apple’s trade secrets were used. Apple would then face the uneasy prospect of questioning him under oath, potentially straining the respectful relationship Ive has maintained since leaving in 2019.

Ive has publicly stayed respectful of Apple, appearing with Laurene Powell Jobs and contributing to the Steve Jobs Archive, and he was deposed in 2012 during a patent battle. Appearing on the opposite side could jeopardize that carefully managed rapport and create friction with Open AI if he feels the company dragged him into the fight for leverage. The case’s discovery phase could thus drag Jony Ive into the lawsuit, forcing Apple into an awkward confrontation.