U.S. federal agents arrested an OpenAI engineer accused of hiding a microphone in the management conference room

U.S. federal agents arrested Abdulrahman Alfozan, a Saudi-born engineer employed by OpenAI, accused of hiding an audio recording device in a conference room intended for the company’s management, in a building in San Francisco. The device was allegedly installed around September 28 and discovered two days later, connected to a USB port behind a television and concealed in toilet paper.

According to the Department of Justice and the FBI, the device had a microphone and could be connected to a camera. The stored data was encrypted, and investigators were unable to access it. Subsequently, a similar customized device was allegedly found in the suspect’s bag.

OpenAI claims that it used its own artificial intelligence models to identify the perpetrator and states that he intended to place additional devices in sensitive areas. The company found no indications that the source code, model parameters, or customer data had been accessed, but it fired Alfozan.

The 35-year-old suspect had worked at OpenAI since July 2025 and has been a permanent resident of the U.S. since 2020. He faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.

The FBI investigation is ongoing.