The FBI arrested a Saudi engineer employed by OpenAI on suspicion of planting a hidden recording device in an executive conference room at the company’s San Francisco offices, federal prosecutors and the AI firm confirmed on Tuesday.
Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, a Saudi national who joined OpenAI in July 2025, allegedly concealed a USB-based recording device wrapped in toilet paper behind a television in the room, according to a U.S. Justice Department statement. The device was discovered by OpenAI’s security team in late September, and Alfozan was arrested on Oct. 9.
OpenAI said it used its own AI models to trace the device’s origins and identify the suspect, then referred the case to the FBI. Authorities stated that surveillance footage showed Alfozan near the restricted conference room multiple times, and a chatbot account linked to his spouse contained queries about constructing, concealing, and remotely operating recording devices, including details matching the device’s MAC address.
The Justice Department charged Alfozan with using or attempting to use a device to intercept oral communications. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. OpenAI stated there is no evidence that model weights, source code, or customer data were accessed, and the company fired Alfozan following his arrest.
Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton said in the statement that the incident “underscores why winning the global super intelligence race is a national security prerogative,” adding that the intelligence community remains committed to protecting U.S. intellectual property from foreign threats .
