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In the United States, Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old engineer at OpenAI, has been arrested on suspicion of planting a hidden recording device in the company's executive conference room. According to investigators, he installed the hidden recording device in the conference room after wrapping it in toilet paper. He allegedly used AI to prepare his espionage activities.
According to the US Department of Justice , Alfozan is a Saudi Arabian citizen who had worked at OpenAI since July 2025. He was arrested last week, on October 9, 2026, and charged with illegally intercepting oral communications.
It all began when OpenAI security staff discovered a suspicious device wrapped in toilet paper and plugged into a USB port on the back of a television in the executive conference room on September 30. Investigators believe the device was installed around September 28 and contained encrypted data. It is emphasized that the conference room where the bug was found was regularly used to discuss confidential matters, including OpenAI research, product development plans, technical capabilities, business matters, and interactions with government agencies. After reviewing surveillance footage, investigators discovered that Alfozan repeatedly appeared near the conference room, despite not being authorized to attend meetings there. Furthermore, it was discovered that the engineer used an internal OpenAI productivity tool to search for information about the company's offices, conference room locations, executive locations, and meeting schedules. Investigators also focused on the chatbot's history of requests on an account linked to Alfozan's wife. This account was used to search for instructions on creating hidden recording devices, as well as to ask the chatbot questions about continuous audio recording, Wi-Fi setup, and advice on eavesdropping on conversations in real time and encrypting SD cards. Worse still, on September 27-28, the same account sent requests directly related to the device found in the company's office, including its custom header and unique MAC address. On October 5, surveillance cameras captured Alfozan entering a conference room and peering behind the television, where the spy device had previously been located. That same day, security officers found a second, similar device in a bag the engineer had left unattended in another room. In an official statement,
OpenAI representatives reported on this incident by using the company's own AI models to investigate the incident, which helped them understand the spy device's design and determine who exactly placed it in the conference room. Alfozan was subsequently fired, and all investigative materials were handed over to the FBI.
OpenAI emphasizes that no indication has yet been found that the suspect gained unauthorized access or stole AI model weights, source code, or customer data.
If convicted, Alfozan faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to the US Department of Justice , Alfozan is a Saudi Arabian citizen who had worked at OpenAI since July 2025. He was arrested last week, on October 9, 2026, and charged with illegally intercepting oral communications.
It all began when OpenAI security staff discovered a suspicious device wrapped in toilet paper and plugged into a USB port on the back of a television in the executive conference room on September 30. Investigators believe the device was installed around September 28 and contained encrypted data. It is emphasized that the conference room where the bug was found was regularly used to discuss confidential matters, including OpenAI research, product development plans, technical capabilities, business matters, and interactions with government agencies. After reviewing surveillance footage, investigators discovered that Alfozan repeatedly appeared near the conference room, despite not being authorized to attend meetings there. Furthermore, it was discovered that the engineer used an internal OpenAI productivity tool to search for information about the company's offices, conference room locations, executive locations, and meeting schedules. Investigators also focused on the chatbot's history of requests on an account linked to Alfozan's wife. This account was used to search for instructions on creating hidden recording devices, as well as to ask the chatbot questions about continuous audio recording, Wi-Fi setup, and advice on eavesdropping on conversations in real time and encrypting SD cards. Worse still, on September 27-28, the same account sent requests directly related to the device found in the company's office, including its custom header and unique MAC address. On October 5, surveillance cameras captured Alfozan entering a conference room and peering behind the television, where the spy device had previously been located. That same day, security officers found a second, similar device in a bag the engineer had left unattended in another room. In an official statement,
OpenAI representatives reported on this incident by using the company's own AI models to investigate the incident, which helped them understand the spy device's design and determine who exactly placed it in the conference room. Alfozan was subsequently fired, and all investigative materials were handed over to the FBI.
OpenAI emphasizes that no indication has yet been found that the suspect gained unauthorized access or stole AI model weights, source code, or customer data.
If convicted, Alfozan faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.