FBI Arrests Saudi OpenAI Employee Accused Of Planting Hidden Recording Device At Company Office

OpenAI deployed its own artificial intelligence models to identify a Saudi employee who allegedly planted a hidden recording device in an executive conference room at its San Francisco headquarters, leading to his arrest by the FBI.

Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, who worked as an engineer at OpenAI since July 2025, was arrested on 9 October and made his initial court appearance on Tuesday.

The thumb-sized device was discovered on 30 September during a security sweep, plugged into a USB port behind a television and concealed with toilet paper.

The sophisticated device featured advanced encryption, audio monitoring capabilities and a data transfer mechanism designed to evade detection.

Investigators later found a similar device in Alfozan's personal bag, along with his wallet and identification.

OpenAI stated it used its internal AI models to trace the device to the specific employee within days of the discovery.

Video surveillance footage allegedly captured Alfozan near the executive conference room on 5 October, checking behind the television where the device was planted, despite having no authority to access the area.

Federal prosecutors also revealed that chatbot queries linked to Alfozan's spouse inquired about building and remotely accessing such devices.

Alfozan has been charged with using an electronic device to intercept oral communications, carrying a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

FBI Director Kash Patel described the case as targeting sensitive communications about the company's superintelligence technology.

OpenAI confirmed it has no indications that Alfozan inappropriately accessed model weights, source code or customer data, and the company has terminated his employment whilst cooperating fully with the ongoing FBI investigation.

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