Saudi OpenAI engineer arrested over secret recording device

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 23:44 · Archive

A Saudi engineer at OpenAI has been arrested and charged with planting a hidden recording device in a conference room.

Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, a Saudi national, was arrested on Friday and charged with attempting to bug confidential meetings at artificial intelligence company OpenAI. Federal prosecutors said he planted a recording device in a conference room used for high-level discussions involving the company's confidential plans, proprietary research, technical capabilities and government relationships.

OpenAI discovered what prosecutors called a 'surreptitious audio recording device' stuffed into a USB port on the back of a television in the conference room, concealed in toilet paper. A second photo in court documents showed the alleged device bearing the branding of Seeed Studio, a company offering AI recording products. Video footage showed Alfozan appearing near the conference room multiple times, despite having no authority to access the room or participate in those meetings.

Alfozan has worked for OpenAI since July 2025. Authorities said he used chatbots to gather information about OpenAI's building addresses, meeting room capacities, calendars and the locations of 'leadership and exec'. Another chatbot account associated with his wife allegedly included queries on ways to install and hide audio recording devices. The FBI said any such attempt to obtain protected information from US technology companies 'threatens both American innovation and the national security interests those advancements support'.

How it is being reported

• OpenAI employee arrested and charged over hidden recordingAbdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national, planted a sophisticated recording device in an OpenAI office, authorities said.Politico Europe · 13 Oct, 23:30
• Saudi OpenAI engineer bugged top secret meetings with toilet paper trickery, feds say after bombshell arrestAbdulrahman Alfozan, 35, a national of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was arrested on Friday.New York Post · 13 Oct, 21:46

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

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