OpenAI Engineer Arrested for Allegedly Planting Recording Device

An engineer at OpenAI has been arrested and charged with allegedly planting a recording device in the company's executive conference room to capture top-secret meetings. Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, a Saudi national, was taken into custody on Friday and faces charges of using or attempting to use a device to intercept oral communications.

OpenAI's technical surveillance countermeasures team discovered the sophisticated device on September 30, concealed in toilet paper and plugged into a USB port behind a television in the conference room. Prosecutors stated the device was installed around September 28. Surveillance footage showed Alfozan near the conference room multiple times, despite not being authorized to enter.

Meetings in the room reportedly involved confidential technical, commercial, and strategic information, including proprietary research, product plans, and government engagements. U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian described the incident as a "matter of national security" amid the United States' AI race with China.

According to a criminal complaint, before the device was found, Alfozan used a productivity tool to inquire about OpenAI's building addresses, meeting rooms, calendars, and executive locations. A chatbot account linked to Alfozan's wife allegedly submitted prompts between September 24 and September 30 regarding the building, installation, concealment, and remote access of recording devices, including queries on how to "build a continuous audio recorder" and "encrypt the SD card."

On October 5, Alfozan was captured on surveillance footage entering the conference room and appearing to look behind the television where the device was discovered. On the same day, he allegedly left a bag in another room containing his wallet and ID, along with a second, similar recording device. Company executives believe Alfozan intended to place additional devices in sensitive areas.

Alfozan, who worked on OpenAI's product team and was hired in July 2025, was terminated on Friday, the same day as his arrest. OpenAI stated that the timing of his termination was coordinated with the FBI to avoid disrupting the investigation. The company had previously restricted his access to systems and spaces, suspended his physical and network access, placed him on leave, and secured his company-issued equipment.

OpenAI has stated there are no indications that Alfozan inappropriately accessed or exfiltrated model weights, source code, or customer data. The company is cooperating with federal authorities and emphasized its commitment to protecting its technology and data.

Alfozan previously worked as a founding engineer at Nash, an AI infrastructure company, from 2022 through August 2025, and as a senior systems engineer at Meta from 2017 to 2022. He holds a master's degree in data science from UC Berkeley and attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Alfozan is scheduled for a detention hearing on October 19. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

FBI Director Kash Patel stated that protecting America's AI innovation is a high counterintelligence priority for the bureau.