FBI arrests former OpenAI engineer accused of installing audio device before planned Saudi flight
A former OpenAI employee was detained by the FBI on charges of placing a covert recording device in a company conference room, days before a scheduled one-way trip to Saudi Arabia.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national who was recently dismissed from OpenAI, on allegations that he installed a hidden audio-recording device in a conference-room TV. Court documents show the device was concealed in a USB port and wrapped in toilet paper.
According to the Department of Justice complaint, surveillance footage captured Alfozan near the conference room on multiple occasions despite lacking authorized access. Prosecutors say he used chatbots to gather information about OpenAI’s facilities and personnel, and that a separate chatbot account linked to his wife queried methods for installing and concealing recording equipment.
Alfozan, who previously worked at Meta and a venture-backed startup, had been planning a one-way flight to Saudi Arabia scheduled to depart three days after his arrest. He had also served as a venture partner at RAED Ventures in Riyadh, alongside a member of the Saudi royal family.
"This arrest highlights our efforts in partnership with the FBI to identify and prosecute those who seek to steal our technology," said Craig Missakian, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California, adding that the case concerns national security.
Alfozan’s lawyer, William Pernik, contended that his client is charged with violating a federal recording statute rather than stealing trade secrets or acting as a foreign agent, and urged the public to withhold judgment until all facts are known.
"He came to this country years ago as a young person with a dream. He spent years studying, working and contributing to an American technological sector that leads the world, a sector built in large part by immigrants like him," Pernik said.
OpenAI, led by CEO Sam Altman, confirmed that the company detected the device and traced it to Alfozan, prompting his termination earlier this week. The incident underscores ongoing concerns about corporate espionage amid intense international competition to develop advanced artificial-intelligence technologies.