FBI arrests Saudi national accused of planting spy device in a TV at OpenAI HQ
US federal investigators allege that Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, planted a hidden recorder inside a conference room used for confidential AI research and business discussions
A software engineer at OpenAI has been arrested on allegations that he secretly planted an audio recording device inside an executive conference room at the artificial intelligence company's headquarters in San Francisco, according to a US Department of Justice complaint.
The accused, identified as Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, a Saudi national and US legal permanent resident, was taken into custody following an investigation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and OpenAI's internal security team.
"We discovered a sophisticated recording device that was hidden inside one of our offices" and "referred the matter to the FBI," OpenAI told AFP in a statement.
Hidden recording device found inside conference room
According to the criminal complaint unsealed by the US Department of Justice, OpenAI's security personnel discovered a concealed audio recording device on September 30. The device was allegedly wrapped in toilet paper and plugged into a USB port at the back of a television in an executive conference room.
Investigators believe the device was placed there on September 28. The room is reportedly used for confidential discussions about AI research, product development plans and business strategies.
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A review of internal security records and surveillance footage allegedly showed Alfozan repeatedly near the conference room, despite having no authorised reason to attend meetings in the area.
Investigators also found chatbot search queries linked to an account belonging to Alfozan's spouse. The queries reportedly concerned how to build, conceal and remotely access covert recording equipment.
Security personnel subsequently recovered a second recording device from a bag belonging to Alfozan, according to the complaint.
OpenAI confirms cooperation with federal investigators
OpenAI said it assisted federal law enforcement authorities after its internal monitoring systems detected the security breach. The company also confirmed that Alfozan was terminated following the discovery.
However, OpenAI said it had found no evidence that the engineer had improperly accessed or removed sensitive company information.
'At this time, we have no indications of this individual inappropriately accessing or exfiltrating model weights, source code, or customer data,' the company said in a statement.
Alfozan had been working as an engineer at OpenAI since July 2025.
What charges does the engineer face?
Alfozan faces federal charges related to the alleged illegal interception of communications. If convicted, he could face up to five years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release.
The allegations have raised questions about internal security at companies developing advanced artificial intelligence systems, where confidential meetings can involve commercially sensitive research, product plans and technology.
As AI companies compete to develop increasingly sophisticated models, protecting proprietary technology and confidential business information has become a significant security concern.
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First Published:Oct 14, 2026, 05:56:15 IST