Saudi OpenAI engineer arrested for planting hidden recording device

Summarised from 10 outlets · 11 reports · Updated 13 Oct, 22:51 · Archive

A Saudi national engineer at OpenAI was arrested after the company discovered a sophisticated recording device hidden in an executive conference room.

OpenAI discovered a sophisticated recording device hidden in its San Francisco executive conference room on 30 September. The device was plugged into a USB port on the back of a television and wrapped in toilet paper. The company used its own AI models to analyse the device and determine when and by whom it had been installed.

Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national who had worked at OpenAI as an engineer on the product team since July 2025, was arrested on 9 October and charged with using or attempting to use an electronic device to intercept oral communications. He appeared in federal court for the Northern District of California on Tuesday. Prosecutors said the device had been installed about two days before it was discovered.

According to prosecutors, Alfozan was not authorised to access the executive conference room where the device was placed. Footage showed him near the conference room on multiple days before discovery. A bag containing his wallet, ID and another similar recording device was also found in the OpenAI building.

The device was highly sophisticated, containing advanced encryption, audio monitoring capabilities and a mechanism designed to evade monitoring. According to Engadget, investigators found that Alfozan may have used a chatbot to ask how to build, install and hide a remote recording device, and on an account tied to his spouse, prompts asking an AI model how to 'build a continuous audio recorder' and 'encrypt the SD card'.

The executive conference room where the device was discovered was regularly used for meetings involving highly confidential information about OpenAI's product roadmap, research, government engagement and business development. FBI Director Kash Patel said Alfozan 'allegedly concealed a covert recording device inside his employer's executive conference room to secretly capture sensitive communications' about the company's artificial intelligence technology.

OpenAI terminated Alfozan and reported the matter to the FBI. The company stated: 'At this time, we have no indications of this individual inappropriately accessing or exfiltrating model weights, source code, or customer data.' The FBI investigation is ongoing, and OpenAI said it would continue to support the investigation. The company emphasised that protecting its technology, data and people was 'a matter of national importance'.

How it is being reported

• OpenAI employee arrested after recording device found in officeDiscovery of ‘sophisticated’ gadget adds to company’s list of privacy concerns after hackings by rogue agents OpenAI said it has found a hidden recording device in one of its offices and has referred the matter to the FBI. One of its employees has been arrested. In a statement on Tuesday, the San Francisco-based AI company said it discovered the “sophisticated recording device” and used one of its “models to understand the device and where it had come from”. Continue reading...Guardian Technology · 13 Oct, 23:08
• OpenAI employee accused of planting recording device in officeA Saudi national who worked at OpenAI as an engineer is suspected of planting a recording device in one of the company's conference rooms.CBS News · 13 Oct, 22:36
• OpenAI says it found a 'sophisticated recording device' hidden in its officesThe company asked its AI models to figure out what the device was.Engadget · 13 Oct, 22:34
• Saudi national charged with secretly planting recording device in OpenAI officeProsecutors say the device, wrapped in toilet paper, was found inserted in a USB port on the back of a TV in an executive conference room.BBC News · 13 Oct, 22:33
• OpenAI says employee caught planting listening deviceA Saudi national employed by the artificial intelligence lab has been arrested after a listening device was planted in a company conference room.DW News · 13 Oct, 22:24
• Open AI says employee caught planting listening deviceA Saudi national employed by the artificial intelligence lab has been arrested after a listening device was planted in an office.DW News · 13 Oct, 22:24
• FBI arrests Saudi OpenAI employee who allegedly planted recording device in conference roomThe Tuesday incident comes as the ChatGPT-maker, along with competitors, faces heightened scrutiny over its safety practices.CNBC · 13 Oct, 22:23
• FBI arrests OpenAI employee accused of planting hidden recording device in conference roomThe FBI arrested a Saudi national who worked at OpenAI on the product team. The AI maker accused the employee of hiding a recording device in an executive conference room.TechCrunch · 13 Oct, 21:59
• US indicts Saudi employee of OpenAI for allegedly bugging its officesAI lab discovered recording device and reported it to the FBIFinancial Times · 13 Oct, 21:54
• OpenAI employee arrested for allegedly planting recording deviceAn OpenAI engineer was arrested after the company said it discovered a "sophisticated recording device" hidden in one of its offices. The employee, 35-year-old Abdulrahman Alfozan, is charged with using or attempting to use a device to intercept oral communications, according to a report from The San Francisco Standard. OpenAI's post about the incident says […]The Verge · 13 Oct, 21:45
• Saudi national charged with allegedly installing a hidden recording device at OpenAIA Saudi national has been charged with allegedly installing a hidden recording device at OpenAI.Sky News · 12 Oct, 17:56

In this story: Abdulrahman Alfozan · OpenAI · San Francisco · Saudi Arabia · FBI · Kash Patel

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem