OpenAI engineer arrested for planting listening device in San Francisco office

Oct 14, 6:17 AM2 min readCovered by 6 outlets

Drafted by AI from the sources below, fact-checked by the Ajako Taja Editorial Team · How we use AI

AI Summary

A Saudi national working at OpenAI has been charged with planting a hidden, encrypted recording device in a conference room at the company's San Francisco headquarters.

Federal authorities arrested Abdulrahman Alfozan, a Saudi national and OpenAI engineer, on October 9 for allegedly hiding a recording device in an executive conference room.

The FBI and OpenAI reported that the device, described as a sophisticated recording tool, was found wrapped in toilet paper and inserted into a USB port behind a television. According to the BBC and France 24, the equipment was discovered by OpenAI security on September 30, roughly two days after its alleged installation. OpenAI stated it utilized its own AI models to analyze the device and trace it back to the employee.

Alfozan, a 35-year-old who joined the company in July 2025, allegedly used productivity tools and a chatbot to research office locations and audio recording techniques. Prosecutors claimed chatbot queries connected to the suspect included instructions on building continuous audio recorders and encrypting memory cards. TechCrunch reported that Alfozan was caught on camera inspecting the television where the device was hidden.

OpenAI has fired Alfozan and stated there is no evidence that source code, customer data, or model weights were stolen. FBI Director Kash Patel noted the alleged intent was to intercept sensitive communications regarding the company's technology. If convicted of using a device to intercept oral communications, Alfozan faces a maximum of five years in prison.

While Al Jazeera and France 24 identified Alfozan as a Saudi-born engineer, France 24 further specified he was caught on camera multiple times near a room he was not authorized to enter. The device was found to be encrypted and possessed data transfer mechanisms designed to avoid detection, according to OpenAI's statements to TechCrunch.

Background

The arrest occurred during a period of intense global competition in artificial intelligence. France 24 reported that the Saudi state-backed firm Humain had recently invested $3 billion in Elon Musk's xAI, which was later acquired by SpaceX to form a division known as SpaceXAI.