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OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan has been arrested in the United States and accused of attempting to secretly record meetings involving senior executives. Investigators allege that he placed a hidden recording device in a conference room used by the company’s leadership at its San Francisco office.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Alfozan, 35, is a Saudi Arabian citizen and U.S. permanent resident who joined OpenAI in July 2025. Prosecutors allege that the device was installed in a room where company executives held meetings.
Employees discovered the device connected to a television in the room in late September. Investigators said it had been concealed and camouflaged so as not to attract attention. Court documents say another specially designed device was found among Alfozan’s personal belongings.
OpenAI said it launched an internal investigation after the device was found and later referred the matter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The company said it used its own AI tools during the investigation to identify the person allegedly involved and trace the equipment’s origin.
According to the company, the investigation uncovered evidence of plans to place additional recording devices in other sensitive areas of the office. However, it found no evidence that the employee accessed or took highly sensitive assets such as model weights, source code or customer data. His employment was terminated following the investigation.
Federal investigators allege that the device was intended to record confidential discussions about OpenAI’s advanced AI programs. FBI Director Kash Patel said the case involved an attempt to record discussions about the company’s most sensitive research activities.
The complaint also alleges that, in the weeks before the device was discovered, Alfozan used internal AI productivity tools to request meeting-room schedules and information about the office. Authorities have not said what information was accessed or transferred.
The case comes as AI companies face increasing pressure to protect trade secrets, research and employees. As competition across the sector intensifies, concerns are growing over physical security, insider risks and corporate espionage, alongside cyber threats.
If convicted, Alfozan could face up to five years in prison, financial penalties and supervised release. The court proceedings will determine whether the allegations are proven and what purpose the devices were intended to serve. The FBI investigation is continuing; no information has been released about additional charges or possible associates.
