FBI arrests OpenAI employee accused of planting hidden recording device in office- Moneycontrol.com
The employee allegedly planned to install additional devices to record meetings in sensitive areas, while OpenAI said it found no evidence of unauthorised access to its AImodels or customer data.
October 14, 2026 / 13:43 IST
OpenAI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested an OpenAI employee accused of installing a concealed audio recording device inside the company's San Francisco office. OpenAI said it discovered the device during a security inspection on September 30 and subsequently traced it to the employee.
According to the US Department of Justice, the accused is Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi Arabian national who joined OpenAI's product team as an engineer in July 2025. The company said he was dismissed on Friday, the same day he was arrested.
The recording device was reportedly connected to a USB port at the back of a television inside one of OpenAI's office buildings. The company said the equipment was designed to avoid detection and featured advanced encryption, audio monitoring capabilities and a mechanism to transfer data discreetly.
OpenAI says employee planned to install more devices
OpenAI alleged that the employee intended to place additional recording devices in sensitive areas of its offices to capture meetings without the knowledge of those involved.
The company said its security team discovered the equipment during a sweep of a conference room. Investigators subsequently examined copies of the device's stored data, with OpenAI using its advanced AI models to help analyse the information and identify changes.
OpenAI said it had not found any evidence that the employee improperly accessed or extracted model weights, source code or customer data.
The company also said it coordinated the employee's dismissal with the FBI to avoid interfering with the investigation. His access to internal systems and office facilities was restricted in stages before being suspended. He was subsequently placed on leave and his company equipment was collected.
Alfozan appeared in a federal court in San Francisco on Tuesday, October 13, according to the Justice Department.
Incident raises concerns about AI security
The arrest comes amid broader concerns about the protection of sensitive information at companies developing advanced artificial intelligence systems. These organisations handle proprietary models, research and technical infrastructure that are valuable targets for cybercriminals and other potential threats.
OpenAI has faced security concerns previously. In 2023, a hacker breached its internal messaging systems and obtained information about the design of its AI technologies, as reported by The New York Times.
More recently, the publication reported concerns among some OpenAI employees about the testing and security implications of advanced AI models.
In its statement, OpenAI said safeguarding its technology was a matter of national importance, adding that its security programme was designed to address threats from insiders, cybercriminals and nation-states. The allegations against Alfozan remain subject to the legal process.
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