FBI arrests Saudi OpenAI engineer over hidden recording device
A former OpenAI engineer faces US federal charges for planting a hidden recording device in an executive conference room, raising concerns about the protection of sensitive AI technology.
The US Department of Justice said in a statement on Tuesday that federal authorities last week arrested Saudi national and former OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, for allegedly placing a secret audio recording device inside an executive conference room at the AI company.
Alfozan made his initial appearance in federal court on Tuesday.
According to an FBI complaint, Alfozan had worked at OpenAI since July 2025. OpenAI discovered the device on 30 September. It was connected to a USB port behind a television in an executive meeting room in its San Francisco office.
The complaint said the thumb-sized device, with a microphone and camera, was hidden inside toilet paper and installed around 28 September, but its stored data was encrypted and inaccessible. Investigators also found a similar customised device in Alfozan's personal bag.
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According to the FBI complaint, Alfozan had also used an AI productivity tool to find information about meeting room schedules and capabilities.
OpenAI said on X it used its own AI models to identify the person who had set up the device and trace its origins. The company also reported finding evidence that the employee planned to place more recording devices in other sensitive office areas to secretly record meetings.
"At this time, we have no indications of this individual inappropriately accessing or exfiltrating model weights, source code, or customer data. The employee was terminated," the company said.
The FBI continues to investigate the incident OpenAI reported.
"Abdulrahman Alfozan allegedly concealed a covert recording device inside his employer's executive conference room to secretly capture sensitive communications about the company's super intelligence technology," FBI director Kash Patel said in the statement.
The incident has raised concerns about security and the protection of confidential information, as companies and governments compete to develop advanced AI technology.
Alfozan has been a legal permanent resident of the US since September 2020. His LinkedIn profile reportedly lists studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California, Berkeley, as well as previous employment at Meta and Microsoft.
Middle East Eye could not independently verify the details in his LinkedIn profile.
If convicted, Alfozan could face up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. He had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of reporting.
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