An engineer at OpenAI has been arrested and charged with allegedly planting a covert audio recording device in an executive conference room at the AI company’s San Francisco office, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, a Saudi national who had worked as an OpenAI engineer since July 2025, was arrested Oct. 9. Prosecutors said OpenAI employees discovered the encrypted recording device Sept. 30, wrapped in toilet paper and plugged into the back of a television in a conference room used for meetings involving highly confidential technical, commercial and strategic information.
According to the Justice Department, surveillance footage showed Alfozan near the conference room on multiple dates before the device was discovered, even though he was not authorized to access the room or participate in meetings there.
Reuters reported that OpenAI used internal AI tools as part of its investigation and that Alfozan had used an AI agent to obtain information about meeting-room schedules. OpenAI said it found no evidence that model weights, source code or customer data were accessed or taken.
The case illustrates a growing security challenge for AI companies, which hold unusually sensitive information ranging from proprietary model research and product road maps to government relationships and commercial strategy. As AI developers deploy their own agents and internal automation tools more widely, those systems can also become part of the insider-risk surface.
Alfozan has been charged with using or attempting to use a device to intercept oral communications. The allegations have not been proven in court. He remained in federal custody following his initial appearance and was scheduled for a detention hearing on Oct. 19, according to the Justice Department.