OpenAI Fires Engineer Allegedly Placing Recording Device in Executive Room
JAKARTA - A former OpenAI employee named Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, was arrested by the United States federal authorities. He is accused of installing a hidden recording device in the company's executive conference room in San Francisco. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the arrest on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
According to the DOJ, OpenAI discovered a sophisticated recording device hidden in the back of a television in the executive conference room on or around September 30, 2026. The device was allegedly installed a few days earlier and hidden using toilet paper. The contents of the device were encrypted.
Alfozan, a Saudi national who has worked as an engineer at OpenAI since July 2025, was arrested on Friday and appeared in federal court on Tuesday. OpenAI confirmed the incident via social media and said it was assisting the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in its investigation.
"We used our model to understand the device and its origin, and identified that a specific employee had installed it a few days earlier," OpenAI said in its statement.
The company added that so far there has been no indication that the individual has inappropriately accessed or taken model weights, source code, or customer data.
In a complaint filed with the DOJ, OpenAI said Alfozan used a productivity tool to search for information about meeting rooms, calendars, and the locations of company leaders and executives.
The chatbot account associated with the Alfozan couple also showed a request filed in September regarding the installation and remote access to the recording device, according to the document.
The DOJ said surveillance video showed Alfozan was around and inside the conference room on several occasions before the device was found.
The room is often used to discuss highly confidential technical, commercial, and strategic information. Discussions include exclusive research, product plans, and business development opportunities, according to a complaint filed with the DOJ.
In addition to the devices found behind the television, the company also found another recording device in one of Alfozan's bags that was left at the office.
OpenAI then reported the matter to the FBI. The company expressed its appreciation to the agents and prosecutors who moved quickly to make the arrest.
"Our security program is designed to protect against a wide range of threats, from insider risks to cybercriminals and nation-states. This case is an example of how AI can help address sophisticated security threats," OpenAI said.
The company has fired Alfozan after the incident came to light. According to the DOJ, if convicted, Alfozan faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine of 250,000 US dollars or around Rp4.50 billion, and three years of probation.
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