OpenAI Employee Arrested in Hidden Recording Device Case

OpenAI says it discovered a hidden recording device in a San Francisco office, fired an employee it identified as responsible and referred the matter to the FBI. Federal prosecutors say the employee, Abdulrahman Alfozan, was arrested October 9 and charged in connection with the device. The allegation has not been resolved in court. OpenAI said the device was found September 30 during a security sweep of a conference room. Prosecutors said it had been inserted into a USB port on the back of a television. The company described the equipment as capable of monitoring audio and transferring data covertly, with encryption intended to evade detection. The company said it used its artificial intelligence models to examine the device and trace its origin, helping identify the employee. OpenAI has not publicly detailed which models were involved, what evidence they analyzed or how their findings were verified. The company also said it referred the case to federal authorities and would continue cooperating with the investigation. Prosecutors identified Alfozan as a Saudi national who worked on OpenAI’s product team.