OpenAI worker charged after recording device found in company conference room
Washington Examiner · RC · trust 76/100
An OpenAI engineer was arrested and charged for allegedly attempting to secretly record confidential conversations inside the artificial intelligence company’s San Francisco offices, the Department of Justice announced Tuesday.
Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, a Saudi national who had worked for the ChatGPT maker since July 2025, was arrested Friday after company security personnel discovered a concealed recording device in an executive conference room.
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The device was found Sept. 30, wrapped in toilet paper and plugged into a USB port behind a television, according to prosecutors. Investigators determined it had been installed around two days earlier and contained encrypted data.
The conference room was frequently used for sensitive discussions about OpenAI’s proprietary research, product development, business relationships, and strategic decisions, prosecutors said .
Surveillance footage showed Alfozan approaching the conference room on several occasions despite lacking authorization to enter or participate in meetings there.
Investigators also discovered that Alfozan had used a workplace productivity tool to research company buildings, conference room locations, meeting schedules, and areas frequented by executives.
A chatbot account associated with Alfozan’s spouse was additionally used to research methods of constructing and concealing recording equipment, including ways to encrypt stored audio and remotely access recordings, prosecutors alleged.
After discovering the device, OpenAI installed additional surveillance equipment in the conference room. On Oct. 5, cameras captured Alfozan entering the room and apparently examining the area behind the television where the device had been hidden.
That same day, OpenAI security found another recording device inside an unattended bag belonging to Alfozan, alongside his identification and wallet, prosecutors said.
OpenAI confirmed that it reported the discovery to the FBI and terminated Alfozan. The company told the Washington Examiner that it used its own AI models to help investigate the device and determine who had installed it.
“We discovered a sophisticated recording device that was hidden inside one of our offices. We used our models to understand the device and where it had come from, identifying that a specific employee had planted it a few days earlier. We referred the matter to the FBI, and we’re grateful to the agents and prosecutors who moved quickly to make an arrest. The FBI’s investigation is ongoing and we will continue to support their work,” an OpenAI spokesperson said.
“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,” they added.
Federal officials characterized the alleged conduct as a possible threat to American technological innovation.
“This serious situation underscores why winning the global super intelligence race is a national security prerogative — and why President Trump’s leadership in creating the Super Intelligence Force is so important,” Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton said.
Authorities have not publicly established Alfozan’s motive or identified any intended recipient of information that might have been recorded. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
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