OpenAI Engineer Arrested Over Recording Device in Executive Meeting Room

By Staff, Agencies

An OpenAI engineer has been arrested for planting a recording device inside a conference room at the company’s California office where executives discussed highly confidential information, the US Department of Justice announced on Tuesday.

FBI Director Kash Patel identified the suspect as Abdulrahman Alfozan, a Saudi national who had worked as an engineer at OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, since July 2025.

If convicted, Alfozan faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

According to an unsealed criminal complaint, OpenAI employees discovered an audio recording device connected to a USB port behind a television in an executive conference room at the company’s San Francisco office around September 30. The device had allegedly been concealed in toilet paper, and its contents were encrypted.

Security camera footage shows Alfozan entering the conference room and examining the area behind the television where the device was planted. OpenAI security personnel later discovered that he had left a bag containing a second recording device in another room.

The complaint further that Alfozan used a productivity tool to make repeated inquiries about the locations of executive meetings, despite lacking authorization to attend them. Investigators also reportedly found that a chatbot account associated with his spouse contained prompts concerning covert recording devices.

“This serious situation underscores why winning the global super intelligence race is a national security prerogative,” Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton said.

The case comes amid intensifying technological competition between the United States and China, alongside growing concerns about the security risks posed by increasingly capable artificial intelligence systems. OpenAI and other technology companies have raised concerns about AI models potentially accessing external networks or taking actions without authorization.

Earlier this month, former Anthropic and OpenAI researcher Jacob Coxon that China “already has spies” working at both companies. Beijing has denied accusations of stealing trade secrets.

US President Donald Trump has supported calls for stronger security safeguards at artificial intelligence companies while rejecting proposals to slow the development of AI models. Earlier this month, he appointed Clayton to lead a White House AI task force.

The allegations against Alfozan remain subject to legal proceedings, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.