United States federal agents have arrested an OpenAI engineer accused of hiding an audio recording device in an executive conference room at the company’s San Francisco offices, according to the Justice Department.
Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national, allegedly installed the device around September 28. OpenAI discovered it on September 30, plugged into a USB port behind a television.
An FBI complaint said the thumb-sized device was concealed in toilet paper and contained encrypted data that investigators could not access. Authorities also allegedly found a similar customized device in Alfozan’s personal bag.
OpenAI said it used its internal AI models to identify the person responsible and trace the device’s origins. The company said it also found evidence suggesting the employee intended to place additional recording devices in sensitive office areas.
However, OpenAI said it had found no indication that he improperly accessed or extracted model weights, source code, or customer data. The company fired him and referred the matter to the FBI.
Alfozan had worked at OpenAI since July 2025. Investigators also alleged that he used an AI productivity agent to seek information about meeting-room calendars and capabilities.
If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. The allegations remain unproven, and the FBI investigation is continuing.
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