Saudi OpenAI Engineer Arrested Over Hidden Recording Device in Conference Room

OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national, has been arrested and charged with allegedly installing a covert audio recording device in an executive conference room at the company’s San Francisco office. 

The US Department of Justice announced the arrest, alleging that the device was intended to intercept confidential conversations about OpenAI’s technology and business operations. 

According to the criminal complaint, OpenAI employees discovered the device on September 30, concealed in toilet paper and connected to a USB port behind a television. Its contents were encrypted. 

However, OpenAI has explicitly said it has no indication that Alfozan improperly accessed or extracted model weights, source code or customer data. 

The alleged recording attempt and any intended use of the recordings remain subject to the criminal proceedings.

Investigators allege that Alfozan had no authority to access the room or attend meetings held there, which frequently covered proprietary research, product plans, commercial opportunities and government engagements.

The complaint also cites activity on a productivity tool and a chatbot account associated with Alfozan’s spouse. 

Between September 24 and 30, the chatbot account submitted prompts about building, customising and remotely accessing an audio recording device, including queries about wireless connectivity, live listening and SD-card encryption. 

The account also submitted prompts referencing the device’s custom header and unique MAC address around the time it was allegedly installed. 

OpenAI said its models helped it analyse the device and identify the employee allegedly responsible. 

The company referred the matter to the FBI and terminated Alfozan’s employment. It said it found no indication that he improperly accessed or extracted model weights, source code, or customer data.

“We take protecting our technology, data, and people seriously, and as a matter of national importance,” OpenAI said in a statement.

The complaint further alleges that on October 5, Alfozan entered the conference room and appeared to look behind the television where the first device had been placed. 

Security personnel later found a second, similar recording device in a bag he had left unattended in another room in an OpenAI building.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the device was allegedly concealed to capture sensitive communications about OpenAI’s technology. US authorities have framed the case as a national security matter involving the protection of advanced AI research. 

If convicted, Alfozan faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, followed by up to three years of supervised release. The court has not proven the allegations. 

Alfozan is a Saudi technology engineer who has worked across large technology companies, AI infrastructure startups and venture capital before joining OpenAI. 

According to his professional profile and media reports, he has held engineering roles at Meta and Microsoft, and worked at Nash, a logistics technology startup focused on delivery infrastructure. 

His reported background includes a computer science and engineering degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a master’s degree in data science from the University of California, Berkeley. 

A February 2025 announcement by Saudi venture capital firm Raed Ventures also identified an Alfozan as a former Meta senior engineer joining the firm as a venture partner. 

At OpenAI, Alfozan reportedly worked as an engineering lead associated with the company’s AI agents platform. According to the Justice Department, he began his employment last July.

Your reaction