OpenAI engineer charged after listening device found in meeting room

What the report says

US authorities say a Saudi national who worked as an engineer at OpenAI was arrested and charged after a concealed listening device was found in a company conference room. According to Al Jazeera’s reporting, the Department of Justice identified the employee as 35-year-old Abdulrahman Alfozan, who had worked at the San Francisco-based artificial intelligence firm since July 2025.

Prosecutors allege the device was hidden inside toilet paper and placed in the office around September 28 before being discovered on September 30. They said video surveillance showed Alfozan near the executive conference room on several dates even though he was not authorized to enter the room or attend the meetings held there. The complaint says those meetings were highly confidential.

The Justice Department said Alfozan has been charged with attempting to use an electronic or mechanical device to intercept oral communications. He made his first court appearance on Tuesday and could face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted. OpenAI said it found no indication that model weights, source code, or customer data were accessed or taken, and said the employee was terminated.

The case highlights growing concerns about espionage and surveillance in the AI sector, where companies are competing for technological and commercial advantage. OpenAI said it referred the matter to the FBI, which said its investigation is continuing.