Saudi employee charged over hidden recording device at OpenAI offices

Federal authorities in the United States have arrested a Saudi national employed by OpenAI for allegedly placing a hidden recording device in the company offices. The Hill and CNBC report that the Department of Justice announced charges against 35-year-old Abdulrahman Alfozan. CNBC reports that the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Alfozan on October 9. [1][2][3]

According to the Financial Times, OpenAI discovered the listening device concealed behind a television set inside a conference room. CNBC notes that OpenAI described the item as a sophisticated recording device located in an executive conference room. The company stated that an employee planted the bug a few days before it was found, after which law enforcement moved quickly to make the arrest. [1][3]

Alfozan had worked as an engineer at OpenAI since July 2025, according to The Hill. Grokipedia notes that OpenAI is a private artificial intelligence organization valuation at around 850 billion dollars in early 2026, known for developing ChatGPT and its GPT series of models. [2][9]

CNBC reports that the arrest comes at a time when the developer of ChatGPT and its competitors are facing increased scrutiny over their internal safety practices. [3]