FBI arrests OpenAI engineer accused of hiding recording device in executive conference room

U.S. federal agents arrested Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national employed as an OpenAI engineer, after prosecutors accused him of installing a hidden audio recording device in an executive conference room at the company's San Francisco offices.

Alfozan had worked at OpenAI since July 2025. Prosecutors said he installed the device around September 28, concealed it in toilet paper and plugged it into a USB port behind a television. OpenAI employees discovered it on September 30.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the device was intended to capture sensitive communications about OpenAI's advanced AI technology.

OpenAI said it used its own AI tools to analyze the device and help identify Alfozan. The company said it has found no indication that he accessed or stole model weights, source code or customer data.

Alfozan was arrested on October 9 and charged with attempting to illegally intercept oral communications. The FBI investigation is continuing.