Former OpenAI Engineer Charged with Installing Audio Spy Device Amid Saudi Contacts
Federal prosecutors allege that ex-OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan placed a concealed recording device in a conference room, communicated with a Saudi royal, and was preparing to travel to Riyadh before his arrest.
Federal prosecutors allege that Abdulrahman Alfozan, a former OpenAI engineer, installed a covert audio-recording device in a conference-room television used by OpenAI executives, government officials and business partners. The device, placed on September 28, was reportedly modified to block data transfer and encrypt recordings on its microSD card.
According to an 11-page filing, investigators recovered evidence that Alfozan used an AI chatbot account belonging to his wife to research how to build a continuous audio recorder, capture microphone input, compress WAV files, add live-listening controls and encrypt the stored data. Photographs on his phone also showed at least one additional concealed recorder in other OpenAI meeting rooms.
Prosecutors say Alfozan maintained frequent WhatsApp communication with an unidentified member of the Saudi royal family, who encouraged him to return to Saudi Arabia and join a new AI initiative. The royal reportedly wrote, "Saudi needs you more than the US!" Alfozan reportedly agreed but indicated he would not leave until his stock options vested.
Alfozan was scheduled to depart San Francisco on a one-way flight to Riyadh on October 12, three days after his arrest on October 9. His wife and three-month-old son left the United States the following day on business-class tickets allegedly purchased by a Saudi military official. Alfozan, a U.S. permanent resident since 2020, had planned to begin two months of parental leave in October 2026.
OpenAI terminated Alfozan’s employment after his arrest. A detention hearing is set before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex Tse, with prosecutors arguing that his financial resources, connections and potential assistance from Saudi officials present a flight risk.
"The defendant's conduct could pose a danger to the national security of the United States," the filing states, referencing meetings in the conference room that involved confidential technical and strategic information.