The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation detained Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national employed as an engineer by OpenAI, on accusations of attempting to intercept oral communications. Prosecutors allege he placed a concealed audio recording device behind a television in a conference room used for highly confidential technical and strategic discussions. The charge cites the use or attempted use of a device to intercept spoken conversations, a federal offense carrying significant penalties.
According to the complaint filed in court, Alfozan engaged a productivity-focused artificial-intelligence assistant between 17 August and 16 September, asking a series of questions about meeting-room availability and external-partner locations. Specific prompts cited include inquiries such as “how about external partners, where would they usually meet with OpenAI” and a request to list the day’s meetings in a particular room. In September, he is reported to have consulted a chatbot linked to his spouse for instructions on constructing and remotely accessing a recording device.
OpenAI staff uncovered the hidden recorder on 30 September after noticing a television wrapped in toilet paper within the targeted conference space. Surveillance footage later captured Alfozan entering the room on 5 October and appearing to inspect the area behind the screen. The same day security personnel opened an unattended bag he had left in a separate room, finding a second device identical to the first along with his wallet and identification. CCTV logs also recorded his presence near the room on eight distinct occasions throughout September.
OpenAI posted a statement on the social platform X indicating that its own AI models were employed to analyse the recovered equipment and trace its origin. The company emphasized that, to date, there is no evidence the engineer accessed or exfiltrated proprietary model weights, source code, or customer data. By publicly acknowledging the investigation, OpenAI aimed to reassure stakeholders while cooperating with law-enforcement authorities handling the case.
Alfozan appeared before a federal court in California on Tuesday, with a detention hearing slated for 19 October to decide whether he will remain in custody pending trial. His attorney, William Pernik, described the allegations as out of character and urged the public to withhold judgment until all evidence is reviewed. Under federal law, a conviction could result in up to five years of imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.