OpenAI Engineer Charged Over Secretive Office Recording Device

A Saudi national employed as an engineer at OpenAI has been federally charged with the surreptitious placement of a recording device within the company’s San Francisco office. Abdulrahman Alfozan, who joined the AI firm in July 2025, faces allegations of using electronic equipment to intercept oral communications.

The incident was uncovered on September 30, when OpenAI employees discovered a sophisticated recording device concealed behind a television in an executive conference room. According to federal prosecutors, the equipment had been wrapped in toilet paper and inserted into a USB port. The company confirmed that it successfully utilized its own AI models to analyze the hardware, leading investigators to determine that a specific employee had installed it two days earlier. According to openAI, They were able to use their AI models “to understand the device and where it had come from, identifying that a specific employee had planted it a few days earlier”.

FBI Director Kash Patel stated that the investigation suggests the motive was to capture proprietary information regarding the company’s artificial intelligence products. Investigators allege that Alfozan utilized internal productivity tools and chatbots to research methods for infiltrating sensitive office areas and deploying covert audio equipment.

Prosecutors claim the accused researched various techniques through chatbot prompts, including building custom continuous audio recorders, managing Wi-Fi connectivity, and encrypting SD cards. He also allegedly searched for ways to obfuscate devices and gain remote access to captured data. Prosecutors released CCTV images of the suspect allegedly checking on the secret recorder. He is also accused of using the chatbot to ask about “‘build[ing] a continuous audio recorder,’ ‘customis[ing] Wi-Fi… connectivity,’ ‘improv[ing] audio and live listening,’ and ‘encrypt[ing] the SD card'”.

The situation escalated on October 5 when the defendant reportedly returned to the office to inspect the device. Security teams later recovered a bag left unattended in the building that contained the employee’s wallet, identification, and a second recording device similar to the one found in the conference room. CCTV footage was used to link the suspect to these activities.

OpenAI has officially fired the engineer following the discovery. The company clarified that there is no evidence suggesting customer data, model weights, or source code were compromised during the incident.

Alfozan appeared in court on Tuesday to face the charges. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison along with a potential fine of $250,000. It’s unclear whether he has legal representation. He faces up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 (£187,000), if found guilty.