A Saudi engineer employed at artificial intelligence company OpenAI has been charged with attempting to secretly record confidential executive meetings by planting hidden audio devices, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday. Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, was taken into custody following his arrest last Friday.
According to court documents, OpenAI discovered an audio recording device concealed inside a USB port on the back of a television in a conference room. The device was wrapped in toilet paper to conceal it. Photographs included in the complaint show the object attached to the television and identify it as a product from Seeed Studio, a Chinese manufacturer known for AI-related recording equipment. The room where the device was found hosted high-level meetings discussing proprietary research, technical capabilities, and government relations.
Video surveillance captured Alfozan near the conference room on multiple occasions despite lacking authorized access. The Department of Justice stated he had been employed by the San Francisco-based company since July 2025 but has since been terminated. FBI San Francisco Field Office Special Agent in Charge Scott Schelble emphasized the seriousness of the offense, stating such attempts to illicitly obtain sensitive information threaten both U.S. innovation and national security.
Additional evidence cited in the complaint includes a chatbot account linked to Alfozan’s wife, which reportedly contained queries about how to install and conceal audio recording devices. On October 5, OpenAI security personnel allegedly observed Alfozan entering the conference room to inspect the planted device. Around the same time, a similar recording device was found in Alfozan’s unattended bag by company security staff.
An OpenAI spokesperson told the press there is no evidence that Alfozan accessed or exfiltrated critical intellectual property, including model weights, source code, or customer data. The ongoing investigation is being conducted by federal authorities to determine the full scope and intent behind the security breach attempt.