TLDR
- Federal prosecutors charged OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan with using a hidden device to intercept oral communications.
- Staff found the encrypted recorder on a TV in an executive conference room on September 30.
- OpenAI used its own AI models to trace the device to one employee, then fired him.
- Prosecutors say he used a chatbot to research how to build, hide and encrypt the recorder.
- OpenAI says it has no sign that model weights, source code or customer data were taken.
Federal prosecutors have charged an OpenAI engineer with secretly placing an audio recorder in the company’s San Francisco office. The Justice Department announced the case on Tuesday.
The suspect is Abdulrahman Alfozan, a Saudi Arabian national. He was arrested on October 9 and remains in federal custody.
He is charged with using or trying to use a device to intercept oral communications. OpenAI says it fired him and notified the FBI.
How OpenAI Found the Device
OpenAI employees discovered the recorder on September 30, prosecutors say. They believe it was installed two days earlier.
The device was plugged into a USB port on the back of a television in an executive conference room. Prosecutors say it was wrapped in toilet paper and encrypted.
OpenAI said it used its own AI models to study the device and learn where it came from. The company says the tools helped show that one employee had placed it.
Alfozan joined OpenAI in July 2025, according to prosecutors. A source familiar with the matter said he worked on the product team.
FBI Director Kash Patel said Alfozan “allegedly concealed a covert recording device inside his employer’s executive conference room to secretly capture sensitive communications.” Patel said the goal was to gather information about OpenAI’s AI product.
What Prosecutors Allege
The FBI says Alfozan used a productivity tool and a chatbot to research sensitive spots in the office. He also looked up ways to hide audio equipment, according to the complaint.
Prosecutors say his prompts covered building, installing, testing and remotely accessing a device. He also allegedly asked how to build a continuous audio recorder and encrypt its SD card.
On October 5, he allegedly returned to check on the device. Prosecutors say CCTV footage links him to the room.
The same day, a bag was left unattended in another part of the building. OpenAI’s security team opened it and found his wallet and ID.
Inside was a second recording device similar to the one in the conference room, prosecutors said.
OpenAI said on X that it has no sign anyone improperly accessed or took model weights, source code or customer data. The company said its investigation is still ongoing.
Alfozan appeared in court on Tuesday, and it is unclear whether he has a lawyer. If found guilty, he faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
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