A Saudi national who worked as an engineer at OpenAI has been arrested and charged in the United States after a concealed listening device was found in a company conference room.
Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, was accused by prosecutors of using the device to obtain sensitive information unlawfully. He appeared in court for the first time on Tuesday and faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to 250,000 US dollars if convicted.
The US Department of Justice said Mr Alfozan had worked at OpenAI since July 2025. He has been charged with using or attempting to use an electronic, mechanical or other device to intercept oral communications.
A complaint filed by prosecutors said the device had been hidden in toilet paper and placed in the conference room around 28 September. It was discovered two days later.
Security footage from OpenAI’s offices allegedly showed Mr Alfozan near the executive conference room on several dates before the device was found, despite him having no authority to enter the room or attend its meetings. The meetings were described as highly confidential.
OpenAI security staff also reportedly found a second listening device in Mr Alfozan’s bag.
OpenAI says employee was terminated
OpenAI said there was no indication that Mr Alfozan had improperly accessed or removed model weights, source code or customer data. The company said he had been terminated.
“We used our models to understand the device and where it had come from, identifying that a specific employee had planted it a few days earlier,” the company said in a social media post.
OpenAI said it had referred the matter to the FBI and would continue supporting the investigation, which remains ongoing.
FBI director Kash Patel said: “Protecting American [super intelligence] innovation is essential to safeguarding our nation’s economic strength and national security, and the FBI views that mission as one of our highest counterintelligence priorities.”
The case comes amid concerns over surveillance and attempts to gain an advantage in the artificial intelligence sector, where companies and countries have sought a competitive edge.
